Grade Percentage Calculator
Put in the points you earned and the points available, and you get your percentage grade right away.
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The formula
Grade % = (Points earned / Points possible) x 100
How your grade percentage is worked out
Divide what you scored by what the test was worth, then multiply by 100. A 42 out of 50 is 42 / 50 = 0.84, so 84%.
Most schools then turn the percentage into a letter. The cut-offs differ, but a common US scale is 90 and up for an A, 80 to 89 for a B, 70 to 79 for a C and 60 to 69 for a D. Check your own syllabus because some teachers use 93 for an A or 97 for an A+.
Quick examples
| Score | Out of | Percent |
|---|---|---|
| 18 | 20 | 90% |
| 33 | 40 | 82.5% |
| 67 | 80 | 83.75% |
| 7 | 10 | 70% |
Need your overall course grade?
If different assignments count for different amounts, a straight percentage is not enough. Use the weighted average calculator, or the final grade calculator to see what you need on an exam to reach a target.
Examples to check
Type these into the calculator above to see how it behaves. Every result below was produced by the same calculator code that runs on this page.
| What you enter | What you get |
|---|---|
| X is what percent of Y?; Points scored: 42; Total points possible: 50 | Percentage: 84% |
| X is what percent of Y?; Points scored: 33; Total points possible: 40 | Percentage: 82.5% |
| X is what percent of Y?; Points scored: 67; Total points possible: 80 | Percentage: 83.75% |
| X is what percent of Y?; Points scored: 9; Total points possible: 12 | Percentage: 75% |
Grade Percentage Calculator: frequently asked questions
Can I enter a score higher than the total?
Yes. If there was extra credit, a score of 52 out of 50 correctly shows 104%.
What is a good percentage on a test?
It depends on the course and the teacher. As a rough guide, 90% and above is excellent, 80% is solid and 70% is a pass in most grading schemes.
How do I turn a percentage into a decimal?
Divide by 100, or move the decimal point two places to the left. So 15% is 0.15, 5% is 0.05 and 120% is 1.2. Multiplying by that decimal is exactly how every percentage calculation works.
Can a percentage be more than 100?
Yes. 150% of a number is one and a half times that number. Percentages above 100 show up all the time with growth: if sales went from 40 to 100, they grew by 150%.
Why does a 50% rise followed by a 50% fall not bring me back to where I started?
Because the second percentage is taken from a bigger number. Start at 100, rise 50% to 150, then fall 50% and you land on 75. The same trap catches people with investments and sale prices.
How accurate is this calculator?
It uses standard double-precision arithmetic, accurate to about 15 significant digits. Results are rounded only for display.
Last reviewed: October 3, 2026