FINAL EXAM PLANNING
Final exam worth 45%: what score do I need?
A final worth 45% with a 78% going in needs 82.45% to finish at 80%. Full table for every current grade and target grade.
With a final worth 45% and a 78% going in, you need82.45%on the final to finish with 80%.
Each final-exam point is worth 0.45 course-grade points. Assumes the final is the only remaining grade.
| Current grade | Target 60% | Target 70% | Target 80% | Target 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 50% | 72.23% | 94.45% | 116.67% | 138.89% |
| 55% | 66.12% | 88.34% | 110.56% | 132.78% |
| 60% | 60.00% | 82.23% | 104.45% | 126.67% |
| 65% | 53.89% | 76.12% | 98.34% | 120.56% |
| 70% | 47.78% | 70.00% | 92.23% | 114.45% |
| 75% | 41.67% | 63.89% | 86.12% | 108.34% |
| 80% | 35.56% | 57.78% | 80.00% | 102.23% |
| 85% | 29.45% | 51.67% | 73.89% | 96.12% |
| 90% | 23.34% | 45.56% | 67.78% | 90.00% |
| 95% | 17.23% | 39.45% | 61.67% | 83.89% |
| 100% | 11.12% | 33.34% | 55.56% | 77.78% |
above 100% (not reachable without extra credit) · 90% or higher · already secured
What a 45% final means
The rest of your course, 55% of the grade, is already locked in. Your current grade carries 1.22 times the weight of the final. With a final this heavy, a strong exam can rescue a weak semester, and a weak exam can undo a strong one.
Worked example
Current grade 78%, final worth 45%, target 80%. Required score = (80 − 78 × 0.55) ÷ 0.45 = 82.45%. Scoring exactly that on the final gives (78 × 0.55) + (82.45 × 0.45) = 80.00%.
Check these before you trust the table
- Your current grade excludes the final.
- The final is its own weight in the syllabus, not part of a larger exam category.
- No drop or replacement rule applies to the final.