How Much Will One Bad Test Grade Affect

 

Your Final Grade?

 

I know how it feels when you see a test grade on your dashboard. You start thinking that your whole semester is in trouble. I have been in that situation too. When I tried to figure out how much one bad score would affect my grades I found out it was not as bad as I thought. So I made this guide and a calculator to help you understand the math behind it. My goal with this guide and calculator is to help you worry less about your grades and make decisions. This way you can be more confident, about your grades than I was.

 

We have all been in this situation. You study hard you feel ready and then you just freeze when the test starts. When you finally get your score back it is a lot lower than you thought it would be.

 

You start to panic: Did I just mess up my GPA? Can I really recover from this one test?

 

Take a breath. One bad test grade is not going to ruin your semester. It is a matter of looking at the numbers to see how much it affects your final grade. If you know how your teacher grades you can figure out how much damage is done and make a plan to do better.

 

The Secret to Understanding Your Grade: Weighted vs Total

 

Points

 

schools use one of two ways to grade. Check your class schedule to see which one your teacher uses.

 

1. The Weighted Grading System

 

In this system your assignments are grouped together. Each group is worth a certain percentage of your final grade.

 

For example:

 

  • Tests: 50%

 

  • Quizzes: 20%

 

  • Homework: 15%

 

  • Final Exam: 15%

 

One test score might seem like a big deal but remember that the 50% for tests is split up over all your tests. If you have four tests each test is only worth 12.5% of your grade. So one bad test cannot mess up the rest of your grade.

 

2. The Total Points System

 

In this system each assignment is worth a number of points. Your final grade is calculated by adding up all your points and dividing by the points possible. If your class has 1000 points and a midterm is worth 100 points that test is 10% of your grade. If you get 60% on that test you miss out on 40 points. You still have 900 points to get and improve your average.

 

Lets Look at an Example:

 

Lets say you have a 90% in your class now and tests are 40% of your grade. If you have four tests each test is worth 10%. If you get a 60% on one test your overall grade will go down by 4%. So your 90% will become an 86%.

 

It is not great to see your grade go down. You did not fail. You are still doing okay. You can bring your grade back up.

 

3 Steps to Recover From a Bad Test Score:

 

If a bad grade brought your average down do not give up. Here is what you can do:

 

  • Use a "Drop Policy" or Extra Credit: Check your class schedule. Talk to your teacher. Some teachers will drop your test score or give you extra credit to help you recover from a bad test.

 

  • Do Well in the Easy Categories: If tests are hard for you make sure you do well in areas like homework or quizzes. If you get 100% in those areas it will help your grade.

 

  • Use a Calculator: Stop guessing and stressing. You can use a tool like the Final Grade Calculator, on CalcGrade.com to figure out what you need to do to get the grade you want.

 

Take Control of Your Grades

 

One test score is just a small setback. Of worrying go to CalcGrade.com put in your numbers and make a plan to finish the semester strong. One bad test grade will not affect your grade that much. Your final grade is what matters. You can still get a good final grade even with one bad test grade.