Test score calculator

How a test score is calculated

A test score in percent is the number of correct answers divided by the total number of questions, multiplied by 100. If you know how many you got wrong instead, subtract that from the total first. The same formula works with points: points earned divided by points possible.

Worked example: a 40-question test where you missed 6. You answered 40 − 6 = 34 correctly, and 34 ÷ 40 = 0.85, so the score is 85%. Each question was worth 100 ÷ 40 = 2.5 percentage points, which is why one more mistake would drop you to 82.5%. On the common US scale 85% is a B.

The letter grade uses the scale most American schools publish: 90% and above is an A, 80–89% a B, 70–79% a C, 60–69% a D and below 60% an F. Plus and minus are added inside each band: 97% and above is A+, 93–96% A, 90–92% A−, and the same pattern down to D−. Your own school or teacher may draw the lines differently, so check the syllabus when the grade matters.

Reading your result

Short tests swing hard: on a 10-question quiz every answer moves the score by 10 points, so a single slip can cost a whole letter grade. On a 25-question test the cutoffs fall between whole answers (90% needs 22.5 correct), so you must reach 23; the table above already rounds the requirement up for you.

Watch for partial credit and weighting. If a test mixes 1-point and 5-point questions, counting questions gives the wrong answer; enter the total points and the points lost instead. Bonus questions are usually added to the points earned but not to the total, which is how scores above 100% happen.

A single test score is also rarely the final grade. Many courses weight tests, homework and participation differently, so a weak result on one quiz may matter less than it feels. Use the per-question value to plan: if each question is worth 2.5 points, you know exactly how many extra correct answers next time lift you into the next band.