Grade Computer


Check the appropriate button and enter all the fields up to at least Exam 1.  Exam scores are to be entered on a 0-100 scale:
 
Attendance bonus points YesNo
Non-exam total /
max. non-exam total
/
Exam 1 score %
Exam 2 score %
Exam 3 score %
Exam 4 score %
Final exam score %
Course average: %


For better than overall course average you need at least this grade on the next exam
90 average %
80 average %
70 average %
60 average %


This grade computer is for information purposes only. My records and computation are what will determine your final grade.  Let me know if the computer acts in a suspicious way.

How to use: the grade computer will give your current course average as well as tell you what you need to get on the next exam in order to have a target course average.  You may also play with entering as many hypothetical grades as you wish to see what effect they will have on the final grade.

You will need to provide all the fields up to at least exam 1 in order for the computer to work. The maximum non-exam total has been filled-in and will be updated periodically.  If the information is out of date, you may enter the newest data.  Keep in mind that exam grades are entered on a 0-100 scale. 

Example: you have a worksheet score of 13/15,  two quiz scores of 14/20 and 17/20 (worksheets and quizzes are the "non-exam scores"), and you have two exam scores of 37/50 and 45/60.  Enter in the first three rows:

44 and 55 (13+14+17 and 15+20+20)
74 ( = 37/50 * 100)
75 ( = 45/60 * 100)

"Course average" will tell you what grade you have based only on the elements earned so far.  The fields under it give you the grade (on a 0-100 scale) you need on exam 3 in order to have a desired course average once exam 3 is included in the computation.  If any of those numbers is higher than 100, the desired course average cannot be achieved.  If you, for example, now enter the number from "80 average" into the (empty) exam 3 field and click "compute" again, the course average will be about 80% (allow for inexactness here because of rounding).  You may enter hypothetical grades for exams 3 and further to explore what happens to the final grade.

Note 1: the computer drops your lowest exam score if you give it more than one exam.  It also takes this approach when it computes the grade necessary on your next exam in order to have a target grade.  Therefore, it may happen that the computer reports you need a 0 on the next exam, say exam 3, in order to have, for example, an overall 70 average.  What this means is that on your previous exams you have earned enough so that you have a 70 average based just on your first two exams. Hence, even if you scored low on exam 3 the first two exams will support an overall 70 average because exam 3 would be dropped.  Now, it would be an extremely bad idea to decide, for example, that you don't need to take exam 3 because you already have a 70 average.  Because when exam 4 comes around and you score poorly, you won't have a possible better grade from exam 3 to shore it up.  Try entering "0" into exam 3 and see how much you will need on exam 4 to sustain a 70 average.

Note 2: the computer assumes that non-exam scores are always 15% of the grade.

Note 3: the computer ignores any information after the first blank exam field (try it: if you enter just exams 1 and 3 you will see that nothing changes after you alter exam 3).