School and grades
Letter Grade Calculator
Any score, turned into a percent and a letter grade
With this letter grade calculator you enter the points you earned and the points possible. We turn them into a percentage and a letter grade on the typical US scale, and show you how far you were from the next letter.
| Grade | From | Points needed of 50 | Points you can miss |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | 90% | 45 | 5 |
| B | 80% | 40 | 10 |
| C | 70% | 35 | 15 |
| D | 60% | 30 | 20 |
The key idea
A 43 is not a good or bad score: it depends on what it is out of
A score only means something next to its maximum: 43 out of 50 is 86%, a B on the typical scale, while 43 out of 100 is an F. The rule is points / points possible × 100. The common scale puts an A at 90 to 100, but each school and teacher can set its own.
How it is calculated
Percent = points earned / points possible × 100
We then apply the typical US scale: A from 90 to 100%, B from 80 to 89, C from 70 to 79, D from 60 to 69 and F below 60. It is a common scale, not a rule: each school or teacher sets its own, including plus and minus grades and whether it rounds. We do not round, so 89.6% shows as a B. Check your syllabus for the scale that applies to you.
If your school uses plus and minus grades, choose that scale: we use a common one (A from 93, A- from 90, B+ from 87 and so on) with its points on a 4.0 GPA scale. The table shows how many points you need for each grade and how many you can miss.
Worked example
43 points out of 50 is 43 / 50 × 100 = 86%, a B on the typical scale. For an A (90%) you needed 45 of 50 points.
Typical cases
Test score to percent and letter grade
Your percent and letter grade by the points you missed on tests out of 20, 25 and 50, like 17 out of 20.
| Points missed | Out of 20 | Out of 25 | Out of 50 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 20/20: 100.0% A | 25/25: 100.0% A | 50/50: 100.0% A |
| 1 | 19/20: 95.0% A | 24/25: 96.0% A | 49/50: 98.0% A |
| 2 | 18/20: 90.0% A | 23/25: 92.0% A | 48/50: 96.0% A |
| 3 | 17/20: 85.0% B | 22/25: 88.0% B | 47/50: 94.0% A |
| 4 | 16/20: 80.0% B | 21/25: 84.0% B | 46/50: 92.0% A |
| 5 | 15/20: 75.0% C | 20/25: 80.0% B | 45/50: 90.0% A |
| 6 | 14/20: 70.0% C | 19/25: 76.0% C | 44/50: 88.0% B |
| 7 | 13/20: 65.0% D | 18/25: 72.0% C | 43/50: 86.0% B |
| 8 | 12/20: 60.0% D | 17/25: 68.0% D | 42/50: 84.0% B |
| 10 | 10/20: 50.0% F | 15/25: 60.0% D | 40/50: 80.0% B |
Save or share this table as an image Common questions
Frequently asked questions
How do I turn points into a percentage?
Divide the points you earned by the points possible and multiply by 100. For example, 43 out of 50 is 43 / 50 × 100 = 86%.
What letter grade is 86%?
It is a B on the typical scale, where a B runs from 80 to 89%. Your school may use another scale, for example with a B+ from 87 to 89, so check your syllabus.
What is the typical grading scale?
A is 90 to 100%, B is 80 to 89, C is 70 to 79, D is 60 to 69 and F is below 60. Many schools use it, but each school and teacher can set its own cutoffs and add plus and minus grades.
Does 89.5% round up to an A?
Only if your teacher rounds. The calculator does not round, so 89.5% shows as a B. Some teachers round to the nearest whole percent and others do not: check your syllabus.
What if I got extra credit?
Add the extra points to your points earned and leave the points possible as they are. Your percentage can then go above 100%, and the letter stays an A.
How do I average several assignments?
If they all count the same, add up all the points earned and divide by all the points possible. If each category has its own weight, average each category and combine them by weight; the final grade calculator helps with the final exam.
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