Grade Calculator

Written byOleh Soloninupdated 25 September 2026

Current average

Grades so far

Target average

Assessments left

Maximum grade

Result

Grade needed each time5
Points needed25
ReachableYes, the target is reachable
Best possible result4.2
Worst possible result2.533
Grades in total15
How it was worked out
4.2 × 15 = 63 in total; 38 of that is already banked, and the remaining 25 splits across 5

The average question, asked backwards

The grade required on remaining assessments to hit a target average, and whether that target is still reachable at all.

A target average is really a target total. To turn a 3.8 average over ten pieces of work into a 4.2 over fifteen, the total has to reach 63 points; 38 are already banked, so the five remaining pieces have to supply 25 — that is 5 apiece.

Which is also why leaving it late hurts. With only three pieces left, the same target asks for 5.53 each, above the top of the scale, and the calculator says so plainly.

Beside the answer it shows the best and worst possible outcomes: the ceiling if everything remaining is perfect, and the floor if none of it is handed in.

How to use

Enter your current average and how many marks are behind it.
Enter the average you are aiming at.
Enter how many pieces of work remain.
Check the scale maximum — the verdict on reachability depends on it.

The fewer are left, the more each costs

Every row is a calculator run with a current average of 3.8 over ten marks, a target of 4.2 and a scale maximum of 5.

Calculator runs at a 3.8 average over 10 marks with a target of 4.2.
Pieces left	Needed on each	Marks in total	Best outcome	Worst outcome
1	8.2	11	3.909	3.455
2	6.2	12	4.0	3.167
3	5.53	13	4.077	2.923
5	5.0	15	4.2	2.533
8	4.7	18	4.333	2.111

The best and worst outcomes

The best outcome is the average with top marks on everything left; the worst is the average with zeros. Together they bound the corridor the final figure has to land in, and both close in with every mark received.

With one piece left the corridor runs from 3.455 to 3.909 — less than half a point wide, and no perfect mark can lift the average to 4.2. With eight left it is more than two points wide, and the target sits inside it.

So read the best outcome alongside the score required: if the target is above the ceiling, no mark on the remaining work will reach it.

What this calculator shows

The grade needed on each remaining piece of work
Whether the target is reachable at the maximum grade
The best and worst possible final averages

What to keep in mind

All assessments count equally; use the weighted calculator where they do not.
The required grade is shown as a decimal because an average across several pieces of work need not be a whole number.

FAQs

What mark do I need to reach my target average?

With a 3.8 average over ten marks, a target of 4.2 and five pieces left, you need a 5 on each. The formula multiplies the target by the total number of marks, subtracts the points already banked and divides by what remains.

Why does it say "more than 5"?

Because the mark required came out above the scale maximum. At this point in the course the target cannot be reached — it has to be lowered, or more assessments have to count.

What are the best and worst outcomes?

The average if everything remaining is marked at the maximum, and the average if none of it is. Between them lies every possible final figure, and the range narrows with each mark received.

How do I pull my average up before the end of term?

By running the numbers early. The more work is still ahead, the cheaper the target: with eight pieces left a 4.2 needs 4.7 on each, with three it needs 5.53, which is impossible.

Does this work on a percentage scale?

Yes: set the maximum to 100 and enter percentages. The formula is scale-independent as long as the current average, the target and the maximum agree.

How is this different from the exam score calculator?

Here every piece of work carries the same weight and the subject is their average. There the exam has a stated weight in percent and the term contributes the rest.

What if the remaining work is weighted differently?

Then use the weighted average calculator, which takes a list of marks and a list of weights. This one treats every piece as equal.

Worked example

3.8 after ten pieces of work

Input: average 3.8, 10 marks, target 4.2, 5 pieces left, maximum 5

Output: exactly 5 needed on each; best outcome 4.2, worst 2.533

Note: With only three pieces left the same target would need 5.53 — above the top of the scale.

Useful links

All tools in Study

Grade Calculator

Result

Related tools

GPA Calculator

Weighted Grade Calculator

Exam Score Needed Calculator

Useful links