Test Grade Calculator
Calculate a test, quiz, or exam percentage from the number of correct answers and total questions. See the exact fraction, incorrect answers, value of one question, calculation steps, and a nearby score chart.
Last updated: August 9, 2026- Exact fraction
- Three display rules
- Nearby score chart
- No sign-up
Calculate Your Test Percentage
Enter whole-number counts for an equally weighted test. The calculator keeps the ratio exact and applies your selected rule only to the displayed decimal.
Calculated test grade
85.00%
17 correct out of 20 scored questions.
Calculation steps
- Incorrect answers = 20 - 17 = 3.
- Raw score fraction = 17/20, already simplified.
- Test percentage = 17 / 20 × 100 = 85.00%.
Your exact score is 85%. A letter grade, pass mark, curve, penalty, or scaled score depends on the policy that controls this test.
Nearby whole-answer score chart
| Incorrect | Correct | Raw score | Percentage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 20 | 20 / 20 | 100.00% |
| 1 | 19 | 19 / 20 | 95.00% |
| 2 | 18 | 18 / 20 | 90.00% |
| 3 Current | 17 | 17 / 20 | 85.00% |
| 4 | 16 | 16 / 20 | 80.00% |
| 5 | 15 | 15 / 20 | 75.00% |
| 6 | 14 | 14 / 20 | 70.00% |
| 7 | 13 | 13 / 20 | 65.00% |
| 8 | 12 | 12 / 20 | 60.00% |
| 9 | 11 | 11 / 20 | 55.00% |
| 10 | 10 | 10 / 20 | 50.00% |
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How to Use the Test Grade Calculator
- Enter correct answers. Count only answers that received full credit under the scoring key.
- Enter total scored questions. Exclude practice, survey, or pretest items when the official instructions say they do not count.
- Choose display precision. Select zero through four decimal places and the display rule required for your report.
- Calculate the percentage. Review correct answers, incorrect answers, the simplified fraction, and the exact calculation steps.
- Check the score chart and policy. Use the nearby whole-answer rows for comparison, then apply the grading scale or score conversion published for the test.
The starting example uses 17 correct answers out of 20. It gives 17 ÷ 20 × 100 = 85%. Change either count and select Calculate test grade. If you edit an input after calculating, the page marks the old result as stale until you calculate again.
Test Grade Formula
For an equally weighted test, divide the number of correct answers by the total number of scored questions. Multiply the quotient by 100 to express the result as a percentage.
Incorrect answers are the total minus the correct count. The incorrect percentage uses the same denominator, so the exact correct and incorrect percentages add to 100%.
The value of one question is 100 divided by the total. On a 20-question test, each answer changes the raw percentage by exactly 5 percentage points. On a 30-question test, each answer changes it by 3⅓ percentage points. This step size explains why some percentages repeat rather than end after a fixed number of decimals.
Worked Test Grade Examples
| Correct | Total | Calculation | Percentage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 17 | 20 | 17 ÷ 20 × 100 | 85% |
| 37 | 50 | 37 ÷ 50 × 100 | 74% |
| 29 | 32 | 29 ÷ 32 × 100 | 90.625% |
| 1 | 3 | 1 ÷ 3 × 100 | 33.333…% |
| 0 | 25 | 0 ÷ 25 × 100 | 0% |
| 25 | 25 | 25 ÷ 25 × 100 | 100% |
Consider 29 correct answers out of 32. The incorrect count is 32 - 29 = 3. The exact fraction 29/32 equals 0.90625, so multiplying by 100 gives exactly 90.625%. The calculator keeps that value exact even if you display 90.63% or 90.6%.
How to Read the Test Score Chart
The generated chart shows 11 nearby whole-answer outcomes when the test has at least 10 questions. For a shorter test, it shows every possible outcome. Rows run from fewer incorrect answers to more incorrect answers, and the exact current result is marked with a visible Current label.
The chart is deliberately local rather than hundreds of rows long. It lets you compare the current result with nearby outcomes without creating an unwieldy page for a large exam. Each adjacent row differs by exactly one question, or 100 ÷ total percentage points. For a 40-question test, the difference is 2.5 percentage points. For a 75-question test, it is 1⅓ percentage points.
Do not use a nearby row as a prediction of a curved grade or standardized score. The chart shows raw percentage correct only. It does not model question difficulty, omitted experimental items, penalties, rubrics, or statistical scaling.
When the Correct-Answer Formula Applies
This calculator assumes every counted question contributes the same amount. That is common for classroom quizzes and answer-key checks where each item is worth one point. It also works when the scoring guide already gives you a whole-number raw count of correct answers.
Do not use this two-input method when questions have different point values. A ten-point essay and a one-point multiple-choice item should not count as two equal questions. In that case, add the points earned and possible, then use a points-based grade calculation. The same warning applies to rubrics, partial credit, negative marking, section weights, bonus questions, and penalties for incorrect answers.
Also confirm which questions are scored. Some testing programs include pretest, field-test, survey, or practice items that do not enter the reported score. The denominator should match the official scored-question count, not every item that appeared on the screen or paper.
Raw Percentage, Letter Grade, Scaled Score, and Percentile
A raw percentage answers one question: what share of the equally weighted scored questions were correct? It does not automatically state whether the result is an A, B, pass, distinction, proficiency level, or another outcome. Those labels require an external grading rule.
A letter grade uses cutoffs chosen by the instructor, school, board, or program. One course may set A at 90%, another may use 93%, and another may apply a curve or minimum-section condition. This page therefore reports the exact percentage without assigning a universal letter.
A scaled score is also different. ACT explains that a raw count of correct answers is converted to its score scale. The Texas Education Agency likewise publishes raw-score conversion tables for assessments. For the digital SAT, College Board states that question characteristics and response patterns affect scoring, so two students with the same number correct may receive different section scores. A plain percentage cannot reproduce those systems.
A percentile compares a score with a reference group. It does not mean percentage correct. For example, an 80th percentile result means the score was at or above the scores of a stated share of the comparison group. It does not prove that 80% of the questions were answered correctly.
Exact Fractions and Display Rounding
The calculator parses the two whole-number inputs as integers and performs the ratio with exact integer arithmetic. It reduces the correct-over-total fraction by their greatest common divisor. A result such as 18/24 becomes 3/4 before display, while the score chart still shows the original counts.
Decimal places and display rules do not change the exact ratio. Round half up increases the last kept digit when the discarded part is one-half or greater. Round ties to even sends an exact halfway case to an even final digit. Truncate removes later digits without increasing the kept value. The selected method appears in the result and copied record.
For example, 1 correct out of 8 equals exactly 12.5%. At zero decimal places, round half up shows 13%, ties to even shows 12%, and truncation shows 12%. The underlying result remains 1/8 in every case. A policy decision should compare the exact score unless the governing rules explicitly say to compare a rounded display.
Repeating values need special care. One correct out of three equals exactly 1/3, while its percentage decimal continues as 33.333…. Showing 33.33% is a shortened display, not a change to the score. The calculator labels whether the selected decimal representation is exact or rounded.
Common Test Grade Calculation Mistakes
- Dividing incorrect answers by total when you intend to find percentage correct.
- Using every visible item as the denominator when some questions are unscored.
- Treating questions with unequal point values as equal one-point questions.
- Entering a decimal correct count even though this tool accepts whole questions only.
- Adding a percentage sign before multiplying the raw fraction by 100.
- Rounding the fraction before multiplying instead of rounding the final display.
- Assuming a displayed whole percentage is the exact value used by the school.
- Calling percentage correct a percentile rank or an official scaled test score.
- Applying a universal A–F scale without checking the published cutoffs.
- Using the calculator as an official gradebook or standardized-score report.
Related Calculators
Test Grade Calculator FAQs
How do I calculate a test grade?
Divide the number of correct answers by the total number of equally weighted scored questions, then multiply by 100. For example, 17 correct out of 20 equals 17 ÷ 20 × 100 = 85%.
What if I only know how many answers were incorrect?
Subtract the incorrect count from the total to find correct answers. If 7 of 25 answers were incorrect, then 18 were correct and the raw percentage is 18 ÷ 25 × 100 = 72%.
Does every question have the same value?
This calculator assumes equal value for every counted question. Use an earned-points and possible-points calculation when essays, sections, rubrics, or other items have different values.
Can I enter partial credit?
No. The calculator accepts whole correct-answer counts to keep the result tied to equally weighted questions. For partial credit, use the official earned points and possible points instead.
How much is each test question worth?
Divide 100 by the total number of equally weighted questions. Each question on a 20-question test changes the raw score by 5 percentage points. Each question on a 40-question test changes it by 2.5 points.
Why does the calculator round my percentage?
Some fractions produce repeating decimals. The selected precision shortens only the displayed value. The calculator preserves the exact fraction and lets you choose half-up rounding, ties-to-even rounding, or truncation.
Does 90% always mean an A?
No. Letter-grade cutoffs, curves, minimum-section rules, and rounding policies vary. Compare the exact percentage with the grading scale published for your class or exam.
Is percentage correct the same as a standardized-test score?
No. Programs may convert raw correct counts through test-specific tables or statistical models. Use the official scoring guide for SAT, ACT, Praxis, state assessments, and other scaled tests.
Should unscored questions be included in the total?
Use the official scored-question count. Leave out practice, survey, field-test, or pretest items when the testing program says they do not affect the reported score.
Is this calculated test grade official?
No. It is a raw percentage estimate from the whole-number counts you enter. The instructor, school, gradebook, or testing program controls the official score, scale, curve, penalties, and grade.
Calculation Method and Source Basis
The raw-count and scaled-score distinction was checked against ACT score guidance, the College Board digital SAT scoring explanation, Texas Education Agency raw-score conversion tables, and ETS Praxis score-reporting guidance. These sources show why a percentage correct is not automatically an official scaled score.
Separation of calculation precision from displayed grade precision was reviewed against Blackboard decimal-handling guidance. The ties-to-even option follows the principal rule in NIST SP 811 Appendix B, section B.7.1. Your school or testing program may require another display policy.
Educational planning notice: This calculator does not access a gradebook, verify an answer key, assign an official letter grade, apply a curve, or reproduce a standardized-test scoring model. Confirm the result with the governing scoring instructions.