Grades and study · Exam scores and attendance
Convert test points to a percent and letter
Points earned divided by points possible, times 100. The letter follows common US cutoffs, printed on the page so you can compare them with your syllabus.
Calculate
How the calculator works
The conversion is a division, then a multiply by 100. The letter comes from a cutoff table: 93 and up for an A, 90 for an A−, 87 for a B+, and so on down to 60 for a D−. Those cutoffs are the most widely published in US high schools and colleges, but they are not universal, which is why the table is on the page.
Formula and method
percent = points earned ÷ points possible × 100
The scale can be any total, not only 100.
A ≥ 93 ; A− ≥ 90 ; B+ ≥ 87 ; B ≥ 83
Common US cutoffs; check your syllabus.
A quiz out of 50, a lab out of 37 or a midterm out of 200 all work the same way: only the ratio matters. The letter table, by contrast, is a local convention. Plenty of US departments shift the A cutoff to 90 or 94, and some grade on a curve. This page does not pick a winner: it shows the table it applied.
Worked example
45 points on a 50-point quiz
score = 45, total = 50.
- 45 ÷ 50 = 0.9.
- 0.9 × 100 = 90%.
- 90 sits on the A− cutoff.
90%, an A−, with 5 points dropped.
An awkward point total
score = 27, total = 37.
- 27 ÷ 37 = 0.7297.
- × 100 = 72.97%.
72.97%, a C.
Input notes
- Points earned
- Points you earned. Half-points are accepted.
- Points possible
- The assignment’s maximum. A score above the total is rejected.
Assumptions and limits
Assumptions
- The scale is linear, with no bonus above the total.
- Letter cutoffs follow the table on this page.
- No rounding is applied before the cutoff comparison.
Limits
- No extra-credit points beyond the total.
- No curve and no rank-in-class grading.
- The letter table is not universal.
How to read the result
The same percent is not the same letter everywhere: 89.5% is a B+ on this table, but an A− in a department that rounds first. If you sit a tenth of a point from a cutoff, your course’s rounding rule decides, not this page. The points dropped are often more useful than the percent: they tell you how much you would have needed to recover.
Common mistakes
Swapping earned and possible.
A score above the total is rejected rather than printing a percent over 100.
Reading a 70% as a weak grade in every system.
70% is a C− here. In other countries a 70 can be a solid pass; do not mix the scales.
Expecting an automatic round-up to the next letter.
89.9% stays a B+ unless your syllabus rounds explicitly.
Comparison
| Percent | Letter | Percent | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| 97 and up | A+ | 73–76 | C |
| 93–96 | A | 70–72 | C− |
| 90–92 | A− | 67–69 | D+ |
| 87–89 | B+ | 63–66 | D |
| 83–86 | B | 60–62 | D− |
| 80–82 | B− | below 60 | F |
Related calculations
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- Course grade by categoryOne line per category, with its score and its syllabus weight. The result is normalised, and the page tells you if weight is still missing.
- GPA calculatorEnter a letter and credits per course. The GPA is the sum of grade points times credits, divided by total credits.
- PercentageEnter two numbers of the same kind. The tool returns (part ÷ total) × 100 — useful for a test score, a slice of a budget, or a share of a count.
- Attendance rateThe attendance percent, and the number that actually helps: how many meetings you can still miss before you fall under the cutoff.
Frequently asked questions
How do I convert a score to a percent?
Points earned ÷ points possible × 100.
45 out of 50 is 45 ÷ 50 = 0.9, or 90%. The same method works on a 37-point lab, a 60-point essay or a 200-point midterm.
Is 90% an A or an A−?
An A− on the common US table.
A straight A usually starts at 93%. At 90% you have an A−. Some departments move those cutoffs by a point or two: the table used here is printed on the page.
What about extra credit?
It is not handled here.
The tool rejects a score above the total, because that almost always means the two fields were swapped. For a quiz with bonus points, add those points to the possible total as well.
Author and update
Written by Rédaction HexaCalc (editorial team). Content last updated: August 25, 2026. No third-party medical or financial review is claimed.
- Les Éléments, Livre I (théorème de Pythagore) et Livre VII (algorithme d’Euclide) — Tradition mathématique euclidienne
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