My target grade is out of reach — what now?
The number came back above 100, so the honest answer is that this grade has gone. From 71% with a final worth 20%, a B would need 131. What remains is real: a perfect exam finishes at 76.8, and a C needs 81. Aim at the highest grade still available and protect it properly.
Common plus/minus convention; many schools use straight letters or different cut points.
You need 131% on the final.
That is above 100%, so 83% is out of reach from the final alone. The highest you can finish with is 76.8%.
🔢 Show the math
- Work graded so far covers 80% of the course; 20% is still to come.
- Points already banked: 71% × 80% = 56.8 points of the 100 available.
- To finish at 83% you still need 26.2 points from the remaining 20%.
- 26.2 ÷ 20 × 100 = 131% on what is left.
- That is above 100%, so this target is out of reach from the remaining work alone — the best you can still finish with is 76.8%.
What you need, at every current grade
With a final worth 20% of your course grade and a B (83% on a plus-minus scale) as the goal, this is the score you need on the final from each starting point:
| Current grade | You need on the final | Reachable? |
|---|---|---|
| 86% | 71.0% | Yes |
| 80% | 95.0% | Yes |
| 75% | 115.0% | Not with this final alone |
| 71% | 131.0% | Not with this final alone |
| 66% | 151.0% | Not with this final alone |
| 60% | 175.0% | Not with this final alone |
Grading scales vary by institution — your school's own table and syllabus govern. Conversions shown here follow common published conventions.
Frequently asked questions
How far out of reach is it?
Compare the ceiling against the target rather than reading the required score alone. Here the best possible finish is 76.8 against a B at 83 — a gap of over six points, which no exam can close. A gap of half a point would mean something quite different, so the size matters more than the verdict.
What is actually still reachable?
Work down the boundaries until the required score falls under 100. A C-plus at 77 needs 101 and stays out; a C at 73 needs 81, which is demanding but ordinary. That 81 is the number worth building a revision week around, because it is the highest grade this course can still produce.
Is it worth talking to my instructor?
Before the exam, yes. Instructors have far more room while the course is still running: an outstanding piece of work, a resubmission, or an unpublicised extra-credit option can raise the banked grade and move the ceiling. Once grades post, the only remaining route is a formal appeal on procedural grounds, which is a much narrower door.
Should I stop working on this course?
No, and the reason is the floor rather than the target. With 20% still live, the difference between a 40 and an 85 on the exam is nine points of course grade, which decides whether this reads as a C or a D on the transcript. The stakes moved; they did not vanish.
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