FINAL EXAM PLANNING
Final exam worth 60%: what score do I need?
A final worth 60% with a 78% going in needs 81.34% to finish at 80%. Full table for every current grade and target grade.
With a final worth 60% and a 78% going in, you need81.34%on the final to finish with 80%.
Each final-exam point is worth 0.6 course-grade points. Assumes the final is the only remaining grade.
| Current grade | Target 60% | Target 70% | Target 80% | Target 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 50% | 66.67% | 83.34% | 100.00% | 116.67% |
| 55% | 63.34% | 80.00% | 96.67% | 113.34% |
| 60% | 60.00% | 76.67% | 93.34% | 110.00% |
| 65% | 56.67% | 73.34% | 90.00% | 106.67% |
| 70% | 53.34% | 70.00% | 86.67% | 103.34% |
| 75% | 50.00% | 66.67% | 83.34% | 100.00% |
| 80% | 46.67% | 63.34% | 80.00% | 96.67% |
| 85% | 43.34% | 60.00% | 76.67% | 93.34% |
| 90% | 40.00% | 56.67% | 73.34% | 90.00% |
| 95% | 36.67% | 53.34% | 70.00% | 86.67% |
| 100% | 33.34% | 50.00% | 66.67% | 83.34% |
above 100% (not reachable without extra credit) · 90% or higher · already secured
What a 60% final means
The rest of your course, 40% of the grade, is already locked in. Your current grade carries 0.67 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 60%, target 80%. Required score = (80 − 78 × 0.40) ÷ 0.60 = 81.34%. Scoring exactly that on the final gives (78 × 0.40) + (81.34 × 0.60) = 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.