Grade calculator
Two questions, one tool. Add your assessments and their weights to see your running weighted average and the UK classification it falls in — then switch modes to find the exact mark you need on whatever is left to hit the grade you are aiming for.
- Free
- No sign-up
- Works offline
- Nothing stored
Your assessments
Leave the mark blank for anything you have not had back yet — the average only counts work that has been graded, and the weight still shows in the total.
| Assessment | Mark % | Weight % | Remove |
|---|---|---|---|
Weighted average so far
66.8%
Upper second (2:1)
Averaged across the 50% of the module that has been marked. You have banked 33.4 points of the 100 available.
UK honours boundaries
- 1st70% and above. Consistently original, tightly argued work with wide independent reading.
- 2:160–69%. The line most graduate schemes and Master's courses screen on.
- 2:250–59%. Sound, accurate work that answers the question but stays close to the reading list.
- 3rd40–49%. A pass — the material is there but the argument and evidence are thin.
- FailBelow 40%. Most universities allow a capped resit; talk to your personal tutor early.
Three steps, one module handbook
- 1
List every assessment and its weight
Straight off your module handbook: the name, what you scored, and what percentage of the module it is worth. Leave the mark blank for anything you have not had back.
- 2
Check the weights add up to 100%
The calculator flags it when they do not. A missing 20% exam is the most common reason a predicted grade turns out to be wrong by a whole classification.
- 3
Switch to “What do I need?”
Put in your current average and how much of the module has been marked, pick a target, and you get the mark required on everything that is left — or a plain statement that it is out of reach.
What UK classification boundaries actually mean
The bands are the same nearly everywhere. What differs is how your university gets you to them — and that is where students lose or gain a whole classification.
| Classification | Range | What it signals |
|---|---|---|
| First (1st) | 70% and above | Original, tightly argued and widely read. At most universities there is no ceiling above 70, but marks above 85 are rare and usually reserved for publishable work. |
| Upper second (2:1) | 60–69% | The line most graduate schemes, training contracts and Master's courses screen on. Consistently strong, well-evidenced work that answers the question set. |
| Lower second (2:2) | 50–59% | Accurate and competent, but close to the reading list and light on critical analysis. Still a good degree, and still eligible for plenty of postgraduate courses. |
| Third (3rd) | 40–49% | A pass. The material is present but the argument, structure or evidence is thin. Worth a conversation with your personal tutor about what is going wrong. |
| Fail | Below 40% | Most UK universities allow a resit capped at 40%. Deadlines for requesting one are short, so act in the first fortnight rather than the last. |
Three things the arithmetic will not tell you
Year weighting. Most UK degrees weight the final year far more heavily than the second — commonly 60:40, sometimes 70:30, and at some institutions the first year does not count at all. A 2:2 in second year is a much smaller problem than students assume.
Borderline rules. Nearly every university has a mechanism that lifts you into the higher classification if you sit within one or two percent of a boundary and enough of your credits already sit above it. If you finish on 68.7, that is worth reading the regulations for rather than accepting.
Discounted credits. Many programmes discard your weakest 20 or 30 credits from the classification calculation. One disaster module is rarely fatal — which is exactly why it is worth checking before you write off a target as impossible.
Where the marks usually are
When a student asks us to help them move from a 2:2 to a 2:1, the gap is almost never knowledge. It is four repeatable things:
- Answering the question that was set rather than the one you revised for — read the command verb again after you have finished drafting.
- Critical engagement: comparing sources against each other instead of summarising them one at a time.
- Structure a marker can follow at speed — a topic sentence that carries each paragraph on its own.
- Referencing and presentation, which are pure marks and entirely within your control.
Grade calculator FAQ
How is a weighted average actually calculated?
Multiply each mark by its weight, add those products together, then divide by the total weight you have entered. A 65 worth 30% and a 72 worth 20% gives (65×30 + 72×20) ÷ 50 = 67.8%. That is why a strong mark on a 10% reflective task moves your average far less than students expect.
Does this match how my university calculates my degree?
It matches the standard weighted-average method that most UK institutions use for a single module. Your final degree classification is usually more complex: many universities weight the final year more heavily than the second, some discount your worst module or worst credits, and most operate a borderline rule that pulls you up if you are within one or two percent of a boundary. Always check your programme regulations for the exact formula.
What happens if my weights do not add up to 100%?
The calculator warns you and tells you how far off you are. It still gives an average across the work you have entered, but treat that number as provisional — a missing assessment almost always means the prediction is optimistic.
Is a 2:2 the end of the world?
No. Plenty of employers have dropped the 2:1 filter, many Master's courses accept a 2:2 with relevant experience, and a strong dissertation carries real weight in an application. If you are close to a boundary it is worth asking your department how their borderline rule works before assuming the number is final.
Prefer to hand it to an expert?
If the number on the screen says you need 74% on the final assignment, a calculator has done all it can. A named subject expert who has marked at your level can show you what a 74% answer actually looks like — written from scratch to your brief, as an edit of your draft, or as an hour of 1-to-1 guidance.
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