Many teachers weight homework, quizzes and tests grades differently depending on the difficulty and significance of the assignment. Big tests and quizzes generally account for most of the total grade because they encompass more of the subject material. Whether you are on the verge of failing a class or just want to know how your grades add up, you can calculate your grades with a few simple formulas.

Determine Grading Policy

First, establish your professor's grading policy for how each category is weighted. The professor may announce this early on in the class for clarity. If they do not, you can also check with the course syllabus or refer to the school policy. Asking directly may be best because of professor preferences in weighting their grades that may not be updated in online materials. For example, the professor may weigh 35 percent of the final grade to quizzes, 20 percent to homework and 45 percent to tests.

Calculate Category Averages

Calculate the average of each category by adding up all of your scores for each category and divide by the number of assignments in that category. For example, if you have five tests with the scores of 90, 85, 100, 75 and 91, the accumulated point total for all your test would be 441. Divide the total by five for your test average of 88.2 percent.

Converted Weighted Grade Percentages

Convert the weighted grade percentages to decimal value by dividing the percentage by 100. For example, if tests are weighted 45 percent of the total grade, the decimal would be 0.45 (45 / 100 = 0.45). Repeat this step for each weighted section (homework, quizzes, tests, etc.).

Calculate Averages

Multiply the average for each category by the weight, in decimal, of each category to calculate the final points out of 100. For example, if your test average is 88.2 percent and is weighted 45 percent, the points for your overall grade out of 100 would be 39.69 (which is 88.2 x 0.45). Repeat this step for your other subject categories. While most professors will maintain the grade given, speaking with the professor can result in updating the grade through additional projects or corrections. Additionally, if a student is not happy with the course grade; some colleges have policies allowing classes to be repeated and then averaged which can also raise a course grade.

Determine Total Grade

Add the results for each category from Step 4 to find out your total grade out of 100 points. For example, if you calculated a 39.69 for test, 34 for quizzes and 18.5 for homework, your total grade would be 92.19 percent. At many colleges using a four-point scale, an A requiring a total grade of 90 with a B letter grade falling in the 80 percent range. A C grade ranges between 70 and 80 percent with a D ranging from 60 to 70 percent. Anything below a 70 percent would be considered a failing grade, or F. These grade ranges do vary by school and professor and are general estimates with some colleges starting an A at 92 percent, a B at 83 percent and so on.

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About the Author

Helen Jody Lin has been writing since 2009. She has written screenplays, produced short films and worked in entertainment marketing. Her work has been published in campaigns for Fanscape, a digital media marketing agency. Lin has a thorough knowledge of broad topics such as fitness and extreme sports. She graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with a Bachelor of Arts in radio-television-film.