How to use the quiz score calculator
- Enter the number of questions on the quiz and how many you answered correctly.
- Enter the score you want to reach. This is your own goal, and the page shows how many correct answers it takes.
- Open the advanced options if some questions were left blank, if questions are worth more than one point, or if the quiz subtracts points for wrong answers.
- Read the percent correct, the wrong answers, the points, and the table of correct answers needed for common scores.
Formula
percent correct = correct / questions x 100
wrong = questions - correct - blank
points = correct x points per question - wrong x penalty
answers needed = questions x target / 100, rounded up
Blank questions are not counted as wrong and carry no penalty. The answers needed are rounded up to a whole question, because you cannot answer part of one.
21 right out of 25
21 correct out of 25 is 21 / 25 x 100 = 84%, with 4 wrong, which is 16%. To reach 90% you need 25 x 90 / 100 = 22.5, rounded up to 23 correct answers, so you are 2 questions short. An 80% goal takes exactly 20 correct answers.
If one of the four misses was left blank and the quiz takes off half a point for each wrong answer, 3 answers are wrong and the points are 21 - 3 x 0.5 = 19.5 out of 25. The percent correct stays 84%, because it counts only right answers.
Percent correct and points are different
Percent correct only counts how many answers were right. Points can add weighting or penalties on top, so two quizzes with the same percent correct may produce different point totals. The page shows both, so you can match whichever your teacher reports.
If a quiz is one part of a course grade, enter the percent in the grade calculator with the weight of the quiz to see the effect on the final grade.
Planning how many you can miss
The table lists the correct answers needed for common scores and the most questions you can miss while still reaching each one. It rounds up, so a quiz of 25 questions needs 23 correct for 90%, not 22.5. For quick percentages in general, use the percentage calculator, and to adjust a set of scores after the fact, use the curve score calculator.
Assumptions and limits
- The score is a plain percentage. No letter grade scale is built in, because scales differ by school and teacher.
- Every question is worth the same number of points. Quizzes with different weights per question need to be added up by hand.
- Blank questions are not counted as wrong and the penalty applies only to wrong answers.
- The target score is your own goal and not a pass mark of any kind.
Frequently asked questions
How do I calculate a quiz score as a percent?
Divide the number correct by the number of questions and multiply by 100. For 21 of 25 that is 84%. The page also gives the percent wrong and the points.
How many questions can I miss and still get an 80%?
On a 25 question quiz you can miss 5, because 20 correct is exactly 80%. The table lists the most you can miss for scores from 50% to 100% on your own total.
Why is the number of answers needed rounded up?
Because answers come in whole questions. If the target works out to 22.5 correct answers, 22 would fall short, so 23 are needed.
What does a negative point total mean?
If wrong answers cost more points than right answers earn, the total can drop below zero. It then shows in parentheses, such as (47), to make clear that it is a loss.