The Impact of a Final Exam on Your Overall Grade

As a student, you might often wonder how different exam outcomes affect your overall grade. In this article, we will explore the consequences of scoring an 83 in your math class and failing the final exam, which is worth 30 percent of your grade. We will break down the formula and provide a detailed explanation to help you understand the impact.

Calculating the Weight of Your Grade

Let's start with the formula:

n - Your current grade before the final is 83, which accounts for 70 percent of your overall grade. n - The final exam is worth 30 percent of your overall grade.

Step 1: Calculate the Contribution of Your Current Grade

First, we need to calculate the contribution of your current grade to your overall grade:

Current Grade Contribution 83 x 0.70 58.1

Step 2: Calculate the Contribution of Your Final Exam

Next, we'll calculate the contribution of your final exam, assuming you fail and score 0:

Final Exam Contribution 0 x 0.30 0

Step 3: Add Both Contributions to Find Your Overall Grade

Now, let's add both contributions to determine your overall grade:

Overall Grade 58.1 0 58.1

Step 4: Determine the Drop in Your Grade

Finally, we'll compare your original grade (83) with the new grade (58.1) to determine the drop:

Drop in Grade 83 - 58.1 24.9

Simplified Summary: If you score 0 on the final exam, your overall grade will drop to approximately 58.1, leading to a decrease of about 24.9 points from your original grade of 83.

Note: The impact varies depending on your performance on the final exam. If you were to score 59 on the final, the grade calculations change. Let's explore this scenario further.

Impact of a Final Exam Score of 59

Here's how the calculations would change if you score 59 on the final exam:

Step 1: Calculate the Contribution of Your Current Grade

The contribution of your current grade remains the same:

Current Grade Contribution 83 x 0.70 58.1

Step 2: Calculate the Contribution of Your Final Exam

Now, let's calculate the contribution of your final exam:

Final Exam Contribution 59 x 0.30 17.7

Step 3: Add Both Contributions to Find Your Overall Grade

Summing both contributions:

Overall Grade 58.1 17.7 75.8

Simplified Summary: If you score 59 on the final exam, your overall grade will increase to approximately 75.8, showing a slight increase from your original grade of 83.

Best-Case Scenario: A Perfect Score on the Final Exam

For your information, let's also consider the best-case scenario where you score a perfect 100 on the final exam:

Step 1: Calculate the Contribution of Your Current Grade

The contribution of your current grade remains the same:

Current Grade Contribution 83 x 0.70 58.1

Step 2: Calculate the Contribution of Your Final Exam

Now, let's calculate the contribution of your final exam:

Final Exam Contribution 100 x 0.30 30

Step 3: Add Both Contributions to Find Your Overall Grade

Summing both contributions:

Overall Grade 58.1 30 88.1

Simplified Summary: If you score 100 on the final exam, your overall grade will increase to approximately 88.1, substantially improving your grade from your original grade of 83.

Conclusion

The impact of a failing final exam on your overall grade can be significant, but it is still possible to improve your grade if you perform well. Always aim for the best possible outcome in your exams as they can greatly affect your final grades.

Key Takeaways:

The specific grade drop can range from 58.1 (if you fail the exam) to 88.1 (if you score a perfect 100). A score of 59 on a 50-point final exam can result in a grade of 75.8, which is still a considerable improvement. Maximize your effort and performance in all exams to avoid significant grade drops.