Canvas Weighted Grade Calculator

How Canvas weighted grading works

Canvas calculates your course grade in two steps:

1. Within each assignment group, your average is the sum of earned points divided by the sum of possible points. Missing work (zero score) is included; excused work is excluded.
2. Across groups, each group's average is multiplied by its weight, and those products are summed. The total is your course grade.

Example: Quizzes (weight 30%) avg = 85, Essays (weight 30%) avg = 92, Final (weight 40%) avg = 78 → course grade = 0.30 × 85 + 0.30 × 92 + 0.40 × 78 = 84.3%.

Status types per assignment

• Graded — normal entry. Earned points + total possible both fill in.
• Missing (Canvas default for past-due missing work) — counts as zero. Hurts your group average.
• Excused — not counted at all. Removed from the average.
• Pending — not graded yet. Only used in What-If mode to find what score you'd need.

What-If mode

Switch to What-If: target grade at the top, then:

1. Mark unfinished assignments as Pending (use the status dropdown on each row)
2. Pick a target letter grade or percentage at the top
3. The tool solves for the average score you need on the pending assignments to hit your target

This is the same logic Canvas's own "What-If Grades" feature uses — but Canvas only lets you guess one assignment at a time. This tool solves the whole batch at once.

Where to find your weights in Canvas

1. Open the course → Grades in the left nav
2. Click the gear/settings icon at the top right
3. "Group weights" lists each assignment group and its percentage
4. If "Group weights" is grayed out, the course uses straight points-based grading — set each group's weight to its share of total points

FAQ

Why does my grade differ from Canvas's display?

Common reasons: (1) Canvas may auto-drop the lowest grade in some groups — toggle that work as "Excused" here to mirror the behavior. (2) Your course uses points totals, not weights — convert each group's weight to its share of total points. (3) Some assignments are excused/late with deductions on Canvas's side.

Why is Canvas calculating my grade incorrectly?

Canvas may be applying assignment-group weights, drop rules, excused or missing statuses, grading periods, or posted-versus-unposted scores that your manual calculation does not include. Compare the syllabus and every assignment status before assuming the calculation is wrong, then model the same setup in the calculator above.

Why did my Canvas grade change?

A grade can change when an instructor posts or edits a score, marks work missing, applies a late policy, changes a group weight or drop rule, or when Canvas switches between current and total grade views. What-If scores are temporary and can also be reset.

Does Canvas count ungraded assignments as zero?

Canvas can show a current grade based only on graded assignments or a total grade that includes all assignments. Whether an ungraded item appears to count as zero depends on the selected view and the course's grade-display settings.

What if my course doesn't use weighted groups?

Use a single group with weight 100% and add every assignment to it. The math is the same — sum of earned / sum of possible × 100.

Is anything saved to a server?

No. "Save as link" encodes everything into the URL. Reload the URL → data restored. Nothing uploads.

How is this different from the Final Grade Calculator?

The Final Grade Calculator answers one question: "what do I need on the final?" — assumes the final is the only thing left. This tool handles courses with multiple remaining assignments across multiple weighted groups.