What do I need on my final?
If your final exam is worth a fixed percentage of the course, you can solve for the score you need.
Formula
Let current be your grade before the final, goal the overall percentage you want, and w the final’s weight as a fraction (30% → 0.30):
needed = (goal − current × (1 − w)) / w
Example
Current 85%, goal 90%, final 30%:
needed = (90 − 85 × 0.70) / 0.30 = (90 − 59.5) / 0.30 = 101.67%
That is above 100% — you cannot reach a 90% overall with only a 30% final from an 85% standing unless extra credit or a curve helps. Try a goal of 88%:
needed = (88 − 59.5) / 0.30 = 95%
Tips
- Confirm the final weight on your syllabus (sometimes the “final” category includes more than one assessment).
- If needed > 100 or < 0, the final calculator explains that clearly.
- Combine with the weighted calculator if you still have other open categories.