Two finals in the same week — which one gets the hours?
The arithmetic is per course; the decision is not. Run each course separately, then compare how far each target sits and how heavy each exam is. A course at 80% needing 83% with a 30% final requires a 90. A course whose grade is already banked deserves none of the week, however loud it feels.
Common plus/minus convention; many schools use straight letters or different cut points.
You need 90% on the final.
That is within reach — the final is worth 30% of your grade.
🔢 Show the math
- Work graded so far covers 70% of the course; 30% is still to come.
- Points already banked: 80% × 70% = 56 points of the 100 available.
- To finish at 83% you still need 27 points from the remaining 30%.
- 27 ÷ 30 × 100 = 90% on what is left.
What you need, at every current grade
With a final worth 30% 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? |
|---|---|---|
| 91% | 64.3% | Yes |
| 87% | 73.7% | Yes |
| 84% | 80.7% | Yes |
| 80% | 90.0% | Yes |
| 76% | 99.3% | Yes |
| 70% | 113.3% | 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 do I decide where an hour is best spent?
Multiply the weight of each final by how far its target sits above your current average. That product is roughly what a point of exam improvement is worth to your transcript. A heavy final in a course you are behind in wins; a light final in a course you are clear of loses, every time.
What if both courses need almost the same score?
Then the tie-breaker stops being arithmetic. Consider which exam is cumulative, which subject decays faster without practice, which paper you have seen past versions of, and which grade something external depends on. Where those also tie, split the time and take the harder subject when you are freshest.
Does the exam order matter for planning?
It matters for scheduling, not for priority. Material for the second exam has to survive the first one, so the usual pattern is to front-load the harder subject and reserve the day between sittings for consolidation rather than new content. Revising in timetable order is convenient and frequently the wrong allocation.
Can I reschedule one of them?
Only for recognised reasons: a direct clash, three or more exams in a single day at many institutions, illness, or an approved accommodation. Convenience is not one, and the request goes to the registrar under published rules. Deadlines fall well before the exam period, so read the policy the week the timetable appears.
Other targets
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