Test Score Calculator
Turn correct answers or points earned into a percentage and letter grade, and see how many more points you need for the next grade. Partial credit works.
What is a test score calculator?
This test score calculator turns a raw score into a percentage. Enter the number of questions you got right, or the points you earned, and the total possible, and it shows your Score as a percentage, the matching Letter grade, the GPA points (4.0 scale) for that letter, the Wrong answers (or points missed), and how many more points you would need To reach the next letter grade.
It works for quizzes, unit tests, finals and practice exams, whether each question is worth one point or the test is scored in points with partial credit. Both boxes accept half points, so a score such as 52.5 out of 60 goes in exactly as written.
The percentage is pure arithmetic and is the same everywhere. The letter grade is not. Schools, districts and individual teachers set their own cutoffs and rounding rules, and some use plus and minus grades while others do not. This calculator uses a common US plus/minus scale, shown in full in the next section, so treat its letter as a guide and check it against your syllabus or school handbook. Teachers can also use it to convert a stack of raw scores quickly.
Formula
Score (%) = points earned ÷ points possible × 100
Points missed = points possible − points earned
For example, 42 correct out of 50 is 42 ÷ 50 × 100 = 84%, with 8 missed. The letter grade then comes from this scale:
| Score | Letter grade | GPA points |
|---|---|---|
| 97% and above | A+ | 4.0 |
| 93% to under 97% | A | 4.0 |
| 90% to under 93% | A− | 3.7 |
| 87% to under 90% | B+ | 3.3 |
| 83% to under 87% | B | 3.0 |
| 80% to under 83% | B− | 2.7 |
| 77% to under 80% | C+ | 2.3 |
| 73% to under 77% | C | 2.0 |
| 70% to under 73% | C− | 1.7 |
| 67% to under 70% | D+ | 1.3 |
| 63% to under 67% | D | 1.0 |
| 60% to under 63% | D− | 0.7 |
| Below 60% | F | 0.0 |
The cutoffs are applied to the exact percentage with no rounding, so 89.5% is a B+ here, not an A−.
Points to the next grade
To find how many more points you need, the calculator multiplies the next cutoff by the total, rounds that up to a whole number of points (or to the next half point when your score or the total uses half points), and subtracts your current score. On a 50-point test the B+ cutoff is 87% × 50 = 43.5 points, which rounds up to 44, so a score of 42 needs 2 more points.
Scales differ
Some grading scales have no plus or minus grades at all. Florida law, for example, sets the scale for grade 6–12 courses in its public schools at A = 90–100%, B = 80–89%, C = 70–79%, D = 60–69% and F = 0–59%. The College Board's BigFuture guide also notes that some schools do not use pluses and minuses and others use different cutoffs. If your syllabus lists a different scale, use the percentage from this calculator with your school's table.
Worked example
Example 1: a 50-question test
You answer 42 of 50 questions correctly.
- Score: 42 ÷ 50 × 100 = 84%
- Letter grade: B (83% to under 87%), worth 3.0 GPA points
- Wrong answers: 50 − 42 = 8
- To reach the next letter grade: B+ starts at 87%, and 87% of 50 is 43.5, so you would need 44 correct, which is 2 more.
Example 2: partial credit
A 60-point exam is graded with partial credit, and you earn 52.5 points.
- Score: 52.5 ÷ 60 × 100 = 87.5%
- Letter grade: B+, worth 3.3 GPA points
- Points missed: 60 − 52.5 = 7.5
- To reach the next letter grade: A− starts at 90%, which is 54 points, so you would need 1.5 more points.
Enter points, not questions, whenever questions carry different values. Counting questions on a test where some are worth 2 points and others 5 would give the wrong percentage.
Example 3: the same four mistakes on different tests
Missing four questions costs more on a short quiz than on a long exam, because each question is a bigger share of the total.
| Test | Correct | Score | Letter grade | GPA points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20-question quiz | 16 of 20 | 80% | B− | 2.7 |
| 40-question test | 36 of 40 | 90% | A− | 3.7 |
| 100-question exam | 96 of 100 | 96% | A | 4.0 |
On the 20-question quiz each question is worth 5 percentage points; on the 100-question exam, only 1. On a scale without plus and minus grades, such as Florida's statutory scale, the first two results would be a B and an A.
How to use this calculator
- Enter your Correct answers (or points earned). Use points if the test has partial credit or questions with different values; half points such as 52.5 are accepted.
- Enter the Total questions (or points possible). Use the same unit as the first box: questions with questions, points with points.
- Read your Score, Letter grade and GPA points (4.0 scale).
- Check To reach the next letter grade to see how close you were to the next cutoff, and compare the letter with your own school's scale.
When no result appears
- The score is higher than the total. The calculator does not go above 100%, so it cannot show extra credit beyond the points possible.
- The total is 0 or empty, or the score is negative.
Using the result
- Percentage: the most portable number, because it means the same thing on every grading scale.
- Letter grade and GPA points: a quick guide based on the scale above; your report card follows your school's own scale.
- Points to the next grade: useful for seeing how close a borderline score was, or for setting a target on the next test.
To see how one test fits into your course grade, use the final grade calculator and read understanding grade weighting. For more on the percentage formula, see how to calculate test score percentage.
Sources
Frequently asked questions
What grading scale does this calculator use?
A common US plus/minus scale: 90% and above is in the A range, 80% in the B range, 70% in the C range and 60% in the D range, with plus and minus grades inside each range (B− from 80%, B from 83%, B+ from 87%). Below 60% is an F. This is not a universal standard. Some schools use only whole letters and some use different cutoffs, so your syllabus always takes priority.
Is 89.5% an A or a B?
In this calculator it is a B+, because the cutoffs are applied to the exact percentage: 179 out of 200 is 89.5%, one point short of the 180 needed for an A−. If your teacher or grading program rounds to the nearest whole percent first, it becomes 90%. Rounding rules are set by your teacher or school, so check the syllabus.
How do I enter partial credit?
Enter the points you earned and the points possible instead of question counts, for example 52.5 out of 60 for 87.5%. Both boxes accept half points. When your score or the total includes a half point, the points needed for the next grade are worked out in half points too: at 46.5 out of 50 (93%, an A) it shows 2 more for an A+, because 48.5 points is exactly 97%.
How many questions can I miss and still get an A?
On this scale an A starts at 93% and an A− at 90%. On a 50-question test, 93% is 46.5, so you need 47 correct and can miss 3; for an A− you need 45 and can miss 5. Divide the cutoff by 100, multiply by the number of questions, and round up. The guide how many questions can I miss walks through more cases.
What do the GPA points mean?
They are the points this letter grade would earn on a 4.0 scale: 4.0 for an A+ or A, 3.7 for an A−, 3.3 for a B+, and so on down to 0.0 for an F. A GPA is normally worked out from final course grades weighted by credits, not from single tests, and schools differ in how they value plus and minus grades. To calculate a real GPA, use the GPA calculator.
Can I use this for extra credit?
Only if the extra credit keeps your score at or below the points possible. The calculator does not accept a score higher than the total, so it will not show a result above 100%. How extra credit counts is up to your teacher.
How much will one test change my class grade?
That depends on how your teacher weights tests, quizzes and homework. A test in a category worth 40% of the grade moves it far more than a quiz in a 10% category. Use the percentage from this calculator in the final grade calculator to see what you need on a final exam.