How to calculate and use a test grade chart
- Enter the total number of questions on one quiz, worksheet, or exam. This tool treats every question as one equal unit, so use the total points instead when every point has equal value but questions carry different weights. The accepted range is 1 through 500.
- Enter how many answers were wrong on the paper. The calculator subtracts that count from the total to find the correct answers. A blank answer is not automatically classified; include it in the wrong count only when your grading policy says it earns no credit.
- Choose Standard, Strict, Lenient, or Manual letter cutoffs and select the display decimals. The presets are examples; Manual accepts your official A, B, C, and D minimums.
- Select Calculate grade. Check the large result for one paper, then use the complete chart to grade the rest of a stack with the same total. Print or save the chart as PDF through the browser print dialog if you want a desk reference.
How the percentage, rounding, and letter grade work
The calculation is percentage = (total questions − wrong answers) ÷ total questions × 100. A 25-question test with 3 wrong has 22 correct, so 22 ÷ 25 × 100 = 88%. The chart repeats this calculation for every possible wrong-answer count from zero through the total.
Display rounding changes only what you see. The calculator assigns the letter from the exact, unrounded percentage, then formats the number to zero, one, or two decimal places. For example, 5 correct out of 6 is exactly 83.333…%. It may display 83%, but it remains above an 80% B cutoff. This prevents a rounded display from moving a score across a boundary.
The selected scale defines four minimum percentages. Standard uses A 90, B 80, C 70, D 60; Strict uses 93, 85, 75, and 65; Lenient uses 85, 75, 65, and 55. Scores below the D boundary receive F. These letters are reporting aids only: the tool does not create plus/minus grades, curves, pass rules, GPA values, or institutional approval.
Worked examples
25 questions with 3 wrong
Correct answers are 25 − 3 = 22. The percentage is 22 ÷ 25 × 100 = 88%. On the Standard scale this is B; on the Lenient scale it is A. The same mathematical score can therefore have a different letter when the selected policy changes.
6 questions with 1 wrong
Correct answers are 5, and 5 ÷ 6 × 100 = 83.333…%. With whole-percent display it appears as 83%; with two decimals it appears as 83.33%. The Standard letter is B in both cases because the exact percentage is used before rounding.
40 questions with 4 wrong
There are 36 correct answers, so the score is exactly 90%. Standard assigns A at the boundary, while Strict assigns B because its A boundary is 93%. Check the chosen scale before copying a letter into a gradebook.
When this chart is useful
- Grade a stack of equal-point papers quickly: set the total once, then read the wrong-answer row for each student.
- Check a hand calculation or gradebook entry by comparing correct, wrong, percentage, and letter in one row.
- Print a reference for an offline grading session or save it as a PDF using the browser print destination.
- Explain how one additional wrong answer changes the percentage on short tests, where every question has a large effect.
Limits and common mistakes
- Every question is assumed to have equal value. For essays, partial credit, bonus points, or mixed weights, calculate earned points divided by possible points instead of counting wrong questions.
- The maximum is 500 questions so the full table stays practical in the browser and on paper. Zero total questions is undefined, and wrong answers greater than the total are rejected without changing your entries.
- Letter scales vary by school, country, course, and teacher. The three presets are explicit examples, not claims about a national standard. Follow the syllabus or grading policy that governs the class.
- The displayed percentage may be rounded, but the grade boundary uses the exact ratio. If a gradebook rounds first, its letter can differ near a cutoff; document which rule you use.
- This page handles a single test only. It does not combine assignments, category weights, semester averages, final-exam targets, curves, dropped scores, or student records.
- Results exist only in the current tab. Printing or saving a PDF creates a file you control; the site does not keep a roster or recover a chart after the tab closes.
Frequently asked questions
What grade is 18 out of 20?
Two answers are wrong, and 18 ÷ 20 = 90%. That is A on Standard and Lenient, but B on Strict because Strict requires 93% for A.
Why does changing decimals not change the letter?
Decimals format the display only. The letter is chosen from the unrounded percentage so a cosmetic rounding choice cannot move a score across a cutoff.
Can I use my own grading scale?
Yes. Choose Manual and enter the official minimum percentage for A, B, C, and D. Plus/minus grades are not included.
Can I grade questions with different point values?
Not by counting wrong answers. Add the points actually earned, divide by total possible points, and apply the required scale. A missed 10-point essay cannot be treated like one missed 1-point item.
Does the calculator save student grades?
No. It keeps only the current inputs in this browser tab and sends no test values as analytics. Save the printed chart or enter the result in your authorized gradebook if a record is needed.