How the maths works
Let w be the weight of the remaining exam written as a fraction, so 25% becomes 0.25. If your grade so far covers everything except that remaining work, the score you need is:
needed = (goal − current × (1 − w)) / wHere goal is the overall grade you want and current is your grade so far. The formula comes from rearranging
overall = current × (1 − w) + final × w.
needed = (90 − 87 × 0.75) / 0.25 = (90 − 65.25) / 0.25 = 99%A 99% on the final gives 90% overall. A what-if score of 80% gives
65.25 + 80 × 0.25 = 85.25%, which is a B on the starting letter grade cut-offs.
needed = (90 − 85 × 0.80) / 0.20 = 110%. Even 100% on the final only reaches 88%.
In weighted categories mode, each finished category adds its score times its weight divided by 100. All the categories not marked yet are solved together, on the basis that you score the same percentage on each of them:
locked = add up (score × weight / 100) for every finished categoryneeded = (goal − locked) / w_remaining
If the remaining weight is 0, or the category weights do not add up to 100%, there is no single answer that matches your syllabus. The page then shows an error and does not quietly adjust your numbers.
Questions people ask
Who made this?
UtilForge makes it. UtilForge is a website of free cybersecurity tools and small calculators. The About page explains why the tools were made, and the Contact page is the way to reach us.
Is this a scam site?
You do not have to take UtilForge's word for it, so here is what you can check. This page does not ask for payment, an account or card details. The calculator is free, and a box further down offers an optional pack that is sold separately on Gumroad. The page also carries a security setting, called a Content Security Policy, that tells your browser to refuse any connection the page tries to make to send information elsewhere. To test it, open this page, switch your internet off and keep using the calculator. It keeps working, because it has nothing to connect to.
What happens when I close the page?
The page saves nothing on your device: it uses no cookies and no stored settings. From the moment it loads, your numbers (the example numbers at first) are written into the page address, the web address in your browser's address bar after the # sign. That is how the copy link button can share them, and how a refresh brings them back. When you close the page they are gone from the page, and opening the plain address again starts with the example numbers. Two things can keep a copy. A link you copied or sent holds your numbers, so anyone who gets that link sees them, including any category names you typed. Your browser may also keep the address in its history or in a bookmark. The Reset button puts the example numbers back into the address.
Does it cost anything, and do I need to sign in?
It costs nothing. You do not sign in, give an email address or enter payment details to use the calculator. Further down the page there is an optional offer for Family Safety Tools, a separate pack of fifteen tools where you pay what you want, including nothing. It is sold on Gumroad, and this calculator does not need it.
How do I work out the grade I need on my final exam?
Write the weight of the final as a fraction, so 25% becomes 0.25. Then the score you need is (target − grade so far × (1 − weight)) ÷ weight. For example, with 87% so far, a final worth 25% and a target of 90%, you need (90 − 87 × 0.75) ÷ 0.25 = 99%. In weighted categories mode, the calculator adds up what the finished categories already give you and divides what is still to earn by the weight of the remaining work.
What if the score I need is more than 100%?
The calculator still shows the number, with a note that it cannot be reached. It means that even a perfect score on the final leaves you below your target under the weights you entered. It also shows the highest overall grade you could reach with 100% on the remaining work. Extra credit, dropped scores and curves are not counted, so check your syllabus, because they may change what is possible.