Weighted Average Method for Calculating a Course Grade
Christine Wolfe
In the weighted average method, categories of activities are assigned a
weight which determines how much that activity counts towards your
final grade. If we think of your final overall average as being 100% of the
grade, then the sum of all the categories must add up to 100%.
Example: Assume the grading policy in the syllabus reads as below;
GRADING POLICY: The final letter grade is based on the
weighted average score of the examinations and assignments
minus any point deductions as described below.
Exams and assignments are weighted as follows:
• 2 Quizzes (3 tests are given, lowest score is dropped) 20% each
• Final Exam
30%
• Assignments
30%
Assume these are your scores for the quarter.
HW average: 42/50 = 0.84 (84%)
Highest quiz: 45/50 = 0.90 (90%)
2nd highest quiz: 40/50 = 0.80 (80%)
Final exam: 95/100 = 0.95 (95%)
For each of the 4 categories, multiply the average x the weight to get the portion of the grade from
that item.
Add up all the portions to get the overall average. (88% in this example for a B+ in the class)
The instructor looks up your letter grade in the grading table he or she uses for the class. This
information will also be in the syllabus. In this example, the grading table used is: