A comprehensive guide to understanding and calculating weighted grades
Unlike simple averages where all assignments contribute equally to your final grade, weighted grades assign different levels of importance to different assignments or categories. Understanding how to calculate weighted grades is essential for accurately tracking your academic progress and planning your study strategy.
In a weighted grading system, each assignment or category is assigned a percentage that represents its contribution to your final grade. For example:
This means that your performance on exams has a much greater impact on your final grade than your participation score.
To understand the difference between weighted and simple averages, consider this example:
If you scored 85% on a quiz and 75% on an exam, your simple average would be (85 + 75) ÷ 2 = 80%.
If the quiz is worth 20% and the exam is worth 40% of your grade, your weighted average would be: (85 × 0.2) + (75 × 0.4) = 17 + 30 = 47% (out of the 60% these two assignments represent).
Many courses organize assignments into categories, each with its own weight. Follow these steps to calculate your grade:
For each category, add up your scores and divide by the number of assignments in that category.
Example: If you have quiz scores of 85%, 90%, and 95%, your quiz average is (85 + 90 + 95) ÷ 3 = 90%.
Convert the category weight to a decimal (e.g., 20% = 0.2) and multiply by your category average.
Example: If quizzes are worth 20% of your grade, your weighted quiz score is 90% × 0.2 = 18%.
The sum of all weighted category scores is your current weighted grade.
Example: If your weighted scores are: Exams (30%), Quizzes (18%), Homework (22%), and Participation (14%), your total weighted grade is 30% + 18% + 22% + 14% = 84%.
Some courses assign weights to individual assignments rather than categories. In this case:
Convert each assignment's weight to a decimal and multiply by your score.
Example: If you scored 85% on an assignment worth 15% of your grade, your weighted score is 85% × 0.15 = 12.75%.
The sum of all weighted assignment scores is your current weighted grade.
If you haven't completed all assignments, divide your total by the percentage of the course you've completed.
Example: If you've completed assignments worth 70% of your grade and your weighted total is 60%, your current grade is 60% ÷ 0.7 = 85.7%.
If your course allows dropping the lowest score(s) in a category:
To calculate your grade during the semester when not all assignments are completed:
While understanding how to calculate weighted grades manually is valuable, our weighted grade calculator can save you time and reduce the risk of errors. Our calculator allows you to: