How to Calculate Student Grade Percentages
Published on January 14, 2026 • By iPercentageCalculator Team
Understanding your academic standing is crucial for success. Whether you are a student tracking your progress or a teacher grading a stack of exams, knowing how to convert raw scores into percentages is the first step toward analyzing performance.
1. The Basic Grade Formula
Calculating a basic percentage grade is simple division. You take the points earned and divide them by the total possible points.
Example: If a student scores 42 out of 50 on a math quiz:
- 42 ÷ 50 = 0.84
- 0.84 × 100 = 84%
2. Understanding Weighted Grades
In many high schools and universities, not all assignments carry the same weight. For example, your final exam might be worth 40% of your grade, while homework is only 10%.
To calculate a weighted grade, multiply your score percentage by the weight of the category. For instance, if you have a 90% in a category worth 20% of your total grade: 90 × 0.20 = 18 points toward your final 100.
3. Common Grading Scale
While scales vary by institution, here is the standard breakdown used in most North American schools:
| Percentage | Letter Grade | GPA (4.0 Scale) |
|---|---|---|
| 90% - 100% | A | 4.0 |
| 80% - 89% | B | 3.0 |
| 70% - 79% | C | 2.0 |
| 60% - 69% | D | 1.0 |
| Below 60% | F | 0.0 |
Conclusion
Tracking your grades helps you stay motivated and identifies areas where you need to improve. If you find manual calculations tedious, our [free online calculator](../index.html) can help you get instant results for any test score.