FINAL EXAM PLANNING
Final exam worth 55%: what score do I need?
A final worth 55% with a 78% going in needs 81.64% to finish at 80%. Full table for every current grade and target grade.
With a final worth 55% and a 78% going in, you need81.64%on the final to finish with 80%.
Each final-exam point is worth 0.55 course-grade points. Assumes the final is the only remaining grade.
| Current grade | Target 60% | Target 70% | Target 80% | Target 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 50% | 68.19% | 86.37% | 104.55% | 122.73% |
| 55% | 64.10% | 82.28% | 100.46% | 118.64% |
| 60% | 60.00% | 78.19% | 96.37% | 114.55% |
| 65% | 55.91% | 74.10% | 92.28% | 110.46% |
| 70% | 51.82% | 70.00% | 88.19% | 106.37% |
| 75% | 47.73% | 65.91% | 84.10% | 102.28% |
| 80% | 43.64% | 61.82% | 80.00% | 98.19% |
| 85% | 39.55% | 57.73% | 75.91% | 94.10% |
| 90% | 35.46% | 53.64% | 71.82% | 90.00% |
| 95% | 31.37% | 49.55% | 67.73% | 85.91% |
| 100% | 27.28% | 45.46% | 63.64% | 81.82% |
above 100% (not reachable without extra credit) · 90% or higher · already secured
What a 55% final means
The rest of your course, 45% of the grade, is already locked in. Your current grade carries 0.82 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 55%, target 80%. Required score = (80 − 78 × 0.45) ÷ 0.55 = 81.64%. Scoring exactly that on the final gives (78 × 0.45) + (81.64 × 0.55) = 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.