Grading chart
Every possible number of wrong answers and its score. Click a row to show it above.
Print the grading chart
The grade uses the percent as shown, to one decimal place. Schools set their own cut-offs — check that the scale matches yours.
About the Test Grade Calculator
You have a pile of tests to mark. Each test has the same number of questions, and you count the wrong answers on each paper. This calculator turns that count into a percent and a grade at once.
It also makes the whole grading chart: every possible number of wrong answers, from 0 to all of them, with the score next to it. Keep it on your desk, or print it, and you can grade a whole class without a calculator — like the cardboard paper graders teachers have used for years.
Type the number of questions and the number wrong. You can count right answers instead, use half points, and choose the grading scale: US letter grades, German grades 1–6, Dutch cijfers, French marks out of 20, Italian marks out of 30, marks out of 10, or the Korean 4.5 scale.
Features
- Percent and grade at once — questions and wrong answers in, score out
- Full grading chart — every number of wrong answers, from 0 to all; click a row to see it big
- Count wrong or right — whichever you counted on the paper
- Half points — count 0.5 for a half-right answer; the chart then goes in steps of 0.5
- 8 grading scales — A–F, A–F with + and −, 1–6, cijfer 1–10, /20, /30, /10 and 4.5
- Printable chart — a PDF in 5 styles, on US Letter or A4, with as many columns as fit
- One click to print or download — the PDF is ready before you click
- Remembers your settings — in this browser only
How the score is worked out
The score is the share of right answers:
score = (questions − wrong) ÷ questions × 100
Example: a test with 40 questions and 7 wrong. Right answers: 40 − 7 = 33. Score: 33 ÷ 40 × 100 = 82.5 %.
The grade comes from that score:
| Grading scale | 40 questions, 7 wrong (82.5 %) |
|---|---|
| US letter grades | B |
| US letter grades with + and − | B− |
| Germany 1–6 (IHK key) | 2 (good) |
| Netherlands cijfer | 8.4 |
| France, out of 20 | 16.5/20 |
| Italy, out of 30 | 25/30 |
| Out of 10 | 8.3/10 |
| Korea 4.5 | B0 (3.0) |
The percent is shown to one decimal place, and the letter grade uses that number. So 89.96 % is shown as 90 % and gets an A. Marks out of 20, 30 and 10 and the Dutch cijfer are worked out from the exact share and then rounded: to one decimal place, and to a whole number for /30.
Grading chart for a 20-question test
This is the chart the tool makes for 20 questions with US letter grades. Each wrong answer costs 5 %.
| Wrong | Right | Score | Grade | With + and − |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 20 | 100% | A | A+ |
| 1 | 19 | 95% | A | A |
| 2 | 18 | 90% | A | A− |
| 3 | 17 | 85% | B | B |
| 4 | 16 | 80% | B | B− |
| 5 | 15 | 75% | C | C |
| 6 | 14 | 70% | C | C− |
| 7 | 13 | 65% | D | D |
| 8 | 12 | 60% | D | D− |
| 9 | 11 | 55% | F | F |
| 10 | 10 | 50% | F | F |
From 9 wrong on, every score is an F. So on a 20-question test, a student can miss 2 questions and still get an A, and 8 and still pass with a D.
The eight grading scales
| Scale | Cut-offs |
|---|---|
| US letter grades | A 90–100 %, B 80–89 %, C 70–79 %, D 60–69 %, F below 60 % |
| US with + and − | A+ 97, A 93, A− 90, B+ 87, B 83, B− 80, C+ 77, C 73, C− 70, D+ 67, D 63, D− 60, F below 60 |
| Germany 1–6 (IHK key) | 1 from 92 %, 2 from 81 %, 3 from 67 %, 4 from 50 %, 5 from 30 %, 6 below 30 % |
| Netherlands cijfer | 1 + 9 × score ÷ maximum, one decimal; 5.5 is a pass |
| France, out of 20 | 20 × score ÷ maximum, one decimal; 10/20 is a pass |
| Italy, out of 30 | 30 × score ÷ maximum, whole number; 18/30 is a pass |
| Out of 10 | 10 × score ÷ maximum, one decimal; a pass is usually 5 or 6 |
| Korea 4.5 | A+ 95 (4.5), A0 90 (4.0), B+ 85 (3.5), B0 80 (3.0), C+ 75 (2.5), C0 70 (2.0), D+ 65 (1.5), D0 60 (1.0), F below 60 (0.0) |
Many schools use their own cut-offs. The scales here are the common ones; check that yours is the same before you hand back the tests.
The same test on different scales
A test with 30 questions, graded on six scales:
| Wrong | Score | US | Germany | Netherlands | France | Italy | Korea |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 100% | A | 1 | 10.0 | 20/20 | 30/30 | A+ (4.5) |
| 1 | 96.7% | A | 1 | 9.7 | 19.3/20 | 29/30 | A+ (4.5) |
| 3 | 90% | A | 2 | 9.1 | 18/20 | 27/30 | A0 (4.0) |
| 6 | 80% | B | 3 | 8.2 | 16/20 | 24/30 | B0 (3.0) |
| 9 | 70% | C | 3 | 7.3 | 14/20 | 21/30 | C0 (2.0) |
| 12 | 60% | D | 4 | 6.4 | 12/20 | 18/30 | D0 (1.0) |
| 15 | 50% | F | 4 | 5.5 | 10/20 | 15/30 | F (0.0) |
Half points
Some answers are half right. Tick Half points and the number wrong can be 3.5 or 7.5. The chart then has a row for every half step.
Example: 25 questions, 3.5 wrong. Right: 21.5. Score: 21.5 ÷ 25 × 100 = 86 %, a B (and a B with + and −).
Frequently asked questions
How many questions can I miss and still get an A?
With US letter grades, an A starts at 90 %. So you can miss 10 % of the questions: 2 of 20, 4 of 40, 5 of 50. On a 30-question test, 3 wrong gives exactly 90 %. Type the number of questions and look at the chart: the last row with an A is your answer.
What is a grading chart?
It is a table with every possible number of wrong answers and the score that goes with it. Teachers use it to mark a stack of tests fast: count the wrong answers, find the row, write down the grade.
Can I count the right answers instead?
Yes. Press Right answers at the top. The chart then lists the number right in its first column.
Can I print the chart?
Yes. Choose a style and the paper, then press Print or Download PDF. The chart uses as many columns as fit on the page. A very long test (for example 300 questions with half points) goes on to a second page.
Why is my school's grade different?
Schools and teachers set their own cut-offs. Some round 89.5 % up to 90 %, some use different lines for B or C. Choose the scale that is closest, and check the cut-offs in the table above.
Are my numbers saved?
Only the settings (number of questions, scale, style, paper) are kept, in this browser. Nothing is sent anywhere.
Related tools
- Grade Calculator — your current grade from weighted scores, and what you need on the final
- GPA Calculator — your grade point average from all your courses
- Percentage Calculator — any percent question
- Quiz Maker — make a printable test with an answer key
- Bubble Answer Sheet Maker — bubble sheets and a filled-in key for the test
- Math Worksheet Generator — printable practice sheets
How to use it
- Type the number of questions on the test
- Type the number wrong — or press Right answers if you counted those. The + and − buttons change it by one
- Tick Half points if some answers get half a point
- Choose the grading scale your school uses
- Read the score and the grade at the top, or find the row in the chart below
- Print the chart — choose a style and the paper, then press Print or Download PDF
