What Mark Do I Need in My Exam?
Enter each completed component with its mark and weighting, then set your target overall percentage. The calculator tells you what you need in the remaining component.
Enter Completed Components
All weightings must add up to 100%. Enter the completed components below, leaving the remaining exam as the unfilled component.
The Formula: How to Calculate Required Exam Mark
To find what mark you need in a remaining component, use the following formula:
Where all weights are expressed as decimals (e.g., 30% = 0.30).
Worked Example
So if you scored 65% on coursework (30% weighting) and need 60% overall, you must score at least 57.9% in the exam (70% weighting). This is very achievable.
Impossible Targets: When the Maths Doesn't Work
Sometimes the formula returns a required mark above 100%. This means your target overall grade is mathematically impossible given your completed component results. This can happen if:
- Your coursework or earlier components were significantly below your target
- The completed components had high weighting and underperformed
- Your target is very ambitious relative to your current performance
| Coursework Mark | Coursework Weight | Target Overall | Required Exam Mark | Achievable? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 65% | 30% | 60% | 57.9% | Yes |
| 45% | 30% | 70% | 80.7% | Yes (hard) |
| 30% | 30% | 60% | 72.9% | Yes (very hard) |
| 20% | 40% | 60% | 86.7% | Very difficult |
| 10% | 50% | 60% | 110% | Impossible |
| 25% | 60% | 55% | 101.5% | Impossible |
Applying the Calculator to Different Qualifications
GCSE Coursework and Controlled Assessment
Most current GCSE subjects are assessed entirely by examination, but some include a non-exam assessment (NEA) or coursework element:
- GCSE Art and Design: 60% portfolio, 40% exam
- GCSE Drama: 40% devising, 20% performance, 40% written exam
- GCSE Music: 30% performance, 30% composition, 40% listening exam
- GCSE PE: 40% practical, 60% written exam
- GCSE English Language: Spoken language endorsement (pass/merit/distinction) — assessed separately, does not affect overall grade
For these subjects, if your coursework mark is confirmed, you can calculate exactly what exam mark you need for each grade boundary.
A-Level Non-Exam Assessment (NEA)
A-Level subjects with NEA components typically weight the NEA at 20–25% of the total grade. Examples:
- A-Level Biology: 100% exam (no NEA at many boards)
- A-Level Art: 60% personal investigation, 40% exam
- A-Level Geography: 20% NEA (fieldwork report), 80% exams
- A-Level History: 20% NEA (historical investigation), 80% exams
- A-Level Music: 30% performance, 25% composition, 45% written exam
University Module Assessments
University modules commonly split assessment between coursework, essays, presentations, and exams. A typical split might be:
- Coursework: 30% — Essay: 30% — Exam: 40%
- Lab Report: 20% — Mid-term test: 20% — Final exam: 60%
- Dissertation/Project: 100% (some modules assessed entirely by one component)
If you have completed your coursework and essay, you can use this calculator to find the exact exam mark needed for your target classification (First, 2:1, etc.).
Risk Assessment: Minimum Effort vs Target Grade
A valuable use of this calculator is exploring different scenarios — what mark do you need for your ideal grade, and what mark do you need just to pass? This helps you plan your revision effort strategically.
The Minimum Pass Scenario
If you are confident in your current performance but worried about one component, calculate the minimum mark you need to pass overall. For most university modules, passing requires 40%. For GCSE, a grade 4 requires approximately 40–50% overall. Knowing this minimum gives you a safety floor below which you must not fall.
The Stretch Target Scenario
Equally, calculate what mark you need for your stretch target (e.g., a First or grade 9). If this requires 95% in the exam after a strong coursework mark, you know where to focus your revision energy.
Multiple Components
If you have two remaining components (e.g., two exam papers), this calculator assumes all remaining weighting goes into one component. For multi-component situations, use the calculator iteratively — calculate for Paper 1, then adjust the target and recalculate for Paper 2 based on your Paper 1 result.
Alternatively, set a combined target for all remaining components: if you need 65% across two equally-weighted papers (each 35% of the total), aim for 65% on average across both papers, then allocate revision time based on your relative strengths in each.
Target Overall Percentages by Qualification
Use these percentage targets when setting your target overall in the calculator:
| Qualification | Grade/Class | Target % |
|---|---|---|
| GCSE (9–1) | Grade 9 | ~80%+ |
| Grade 7 (A equivalent) | ~65% | |
| Grade 5 (strong pass) | ~52% | |
| Grade 4 (standard pass) | ~43% | |
| Grade 3 | ~35% | |
| A-Level | A* | ~80%+ |
| A | ~70% | |
| B | ~60% | |
| C | ~50% | |
| E (minimum pass) | ~30% | |
| University UG | First class | 70% |
| 2:1 | 60% | |
| 2:2 | 50% | |
| Pass (Third) | 40% |