Your grade in the course right now — check your Canvas Grades page.
What you want to end the course with. Or use a letter: A=93, A-=90, B+=87, B=83, B-=80, C+=77, C=73.
What percentage of the course grade the final is worth (check your syllabus).
Letter grade reference
U.S. standard 4.0 scale — check your syllabus for your school's exact thresholds.
| Letter | Percentage | GPA points |
|---|---|---|
| A | 93–100 | 4.0 |
| A- | 90–92.99 | 3.7 |
| B+ | 87–89.99 | 3.3 |
| B | 83–86.99 | 3.0 |
| B- | 80–82.99 | 2.7 |
| C+ | 77–79.99 | 2.3 |
| C | 73–76.99 | 2.0 |
| C- | 70–72.99 | 1.7 |
| D | 60–69.99 | 1.0 |
| F | below 60 | 0.0 |
How the formula works
If you've been wondering — the math behind "what grade do I need on the final" is just one line:
needed = (target − current × (1 − weight)) / weightAll as decimals. Your current grade carries (1 − weight) of the final course grade. The remainder has to come from the final. Subtract what your current grade already gets you, divide by the final's weight, and that's the score you need.
How to find your numbers on Canvas
- Current grade: open the course → click Grades in the left nav. The current percentage is shown at the top right. If your instructor hides it, hover the bottom of the page or use the weighted grade calculator with your individual scores.
- Final's weight: open Grades → click the gear icon (top right) → "Group weights" shows each assignment-group's weight. If the final is a standalone assignment, its weight = its group's weight (assuming it's the only item in that group).
- Multiple assignments still pending: use the weighted grade calculator instead.
Don't lose your target to a flagged quiz log
Calculate the score you need — then make sure the quiz you're about to take doesn't leak tab-switch entries to your instructor. Canvas Ninja's Privacy Guard keeps your quiz log clean while you focus on the score.
Get Canvas NinjaFAQ
- What if my final exam is just one of several assignments left?
- Use the Weighted Grade Calculator — it lets you add multiple remaining items with individual weights.
- The result says I need over 100%. What does that mean?
- Your target isn't mathematically reachable without extra credit or a curve. The tool still shows the theoretical number. Talk to your instructor about extra-credit options.
- The result is negative. What does that mean?
- You can score zero on the final and still hit your target — your current grade alone is enough. (The math: your current grade times
1 − weightalready exceeds your target.) - Why doesn't this match Canvas's "What If" feature?
- Canvas's "What If" lets you punch in hypothetical scores for individual assignments. This tool answers the inverse: given a target, what score do I need? Both use the same weighted-average math; same answer either way.