How to grade a test
- Enter the number of questions (or total points) on the test.
- Enter how many the student got wrong, or switch to Number right. Half points are allowed, such as 2.5 wrong.
- Read the percentage and letter grade. Change the grade scale or pick a preset if your school uses plus/minus grades, a 7-point scale or pass/fail.
- Use the grading chart to mark a whole class quickly: it lists every possible number wrong with its percentage and grade. Print it and keep it next to your stack of tests, like a paper EZ grader.
The test score formula
The percentage is the number correct divided by the total, times 100: score = (questions − wrong) ÷ questions × 100. On a 20-question test, 3 wrong means 17 ÷ 20 = 85%, a B on the common 10-point scale. Each question is worth 100 ÷ 20 = 5 percentage points. On a 25-question test each one is worth 4 points, and on a 30-question test about 3.33 points, which is why grades on short quizzes jump in big steps.
If questions carry different marks, enter the total points instead of the number of questions and the points lost instead of the number wrong; the formula is the same. Percentages are shown to one decimal place and are not rounded up for the grade, so 89.5% stays a B on a 90% cut-off. If your school rounds, adjust the cut-off (for example A 89.5).
For a whole term, with weighted categories for homework, quizzes and tests, use the free gradebook. Nothing you enter here is uploaded; the page address keeps your settings so you can bookmark a chart for a test you give every year.
What is 17 out of 20 as a percentage?
85%: 17 ÷ 20 × 100. On a 10-point scale that is a B.
How much is each question worth?
100 divided by the number of questions: 5 points each on a 20-question test, 4 on 25 questions, 2.5 on 40.
What grade is 75%?
A C on the common A 90 / B 80 / C 70 / D 60 scale, or a C (73–76) on a plus/minus scale.
Can I print a grading chart?
Yes. Set the number of questions, tick half points if you use them, and press Print chart.