How to turn a test score into a grade
- Enter your Points scored. Half points like 37.5 are fine.
- Enter the Points possible on the test or assignment.
- Read your percentage, the letter grade on the common US scale and how many points you missed.
The letter grade scale
| Letter | From | Letter | From |
|---|---|---|---|
| A+ | 97% | C+ | 77% |
| A | 93% | C | 73% |
| A− | 90% | C− | 70% |
| B+ | 87% | D+ | 67% |
| B | 83% | D | 63% |
| B− | 80% | D− | 60% |
| F | below 60% |
Each letter runs from its starting percentage up to the next one, so 92.9% is still an A−.
This is a common scale in US schools, but not a universal one. Some schools set a higher cut-off for an A, some don’t give plus or minus grades, and colleges set their own cut-offs in each course syllabus. Your teacher’s scale always wins.
Scores that are easy to misjudge
Tests with odd totals make guessing hard. 17 out of 20 is 85%, but 53 out of 60 is 88.3%, a grade higher at B+. On a short quiz, each point is worth a lot: on a 10-point quiz, one point is 10%, while on a 50-point test it’s 2%.
One test is also only part of your grade. To see how a test affects your overall mark, find out how much tests count for in your course, or use the final grade calculator to see what you need on the exam.