Log each score once. See your grade now, the best and worst you can still finish with, and your term and cumulative GPA. Free to download.

Log each assignment, quiz and exam once. The planner applies your syllabus rules and shows your grade now, the lowest and highest grade you can still finish with, and the one average you need on everything that's left to reach your target letter.

Who it’s for

High-school and college students (and parents helping them) whose courses use weighted categories, dropped quizzes or total points, and who want a straight answer to "what do I need on the rest?" instead of a one-line final-exam formula.

What it does

• Three grading methods per course: weighted with total points per category, weighted with each item counting equally, or total points with no weights
• Category weights from the syllabus, scaled to their total, so weights that don't add to 100 still work
• Drop the lowest N scores per category; ties drop the earlier row and the last graded score is never dropped
• Grade now from graded work only, with ungraded categories left out and the rest scaled up
• Lowest and highest possible grade (0% or 100% on everything still to come)
• Needed on the rest: one average across all remaining items that lands on your target letter or a target %, with a clear verdict (Reachable, Secured, Needs over 100%)
• Projected % and letter from an average you choose, or from your grade now
• Your school's grade scale: letters, minimum %, grade points, pass letters with no points, optional rounding before the letter
• Term GPA from final letters (once posted) or projected ones, cumulative GPA with earlier credits, and the term GPA needed for a cumulative target
• Items show Graded, Dropped, Excused, Upcoming, Past due or a "Not counted" reason, plus days left and a due-soon count per course
• Extra credit: enter more points earned than possible

What you get

1. Grade-GPA-Planner.xlsx: the working spreadsheet (6 tabs, with a fictional example term)
2. Blank-Grade-GPA-Planner.xlsx: the same file with no rows filled in and the default scale, ready for your own courses
3. Grade-GPA-Planner-Guide.pdf: a 4-page guide to setup, how each number is worked out, a worked example and every status word

Good to know

• Free instant download, no sign-up.
• A planning tool. Your school's official grade is what counts.
• One term per file: 10 courses, 80 categories, 500 items. Start a fresh blank copy each term and carry your cumulative GPA over.
• License: free for personal or business use; don't resell or re-host. Sharing a link to the Tidewick page is fine.

Compatibility

Tested in LibreOffice Calc (free for Windows, Mac and Linux). Every calculated cell was recalculated there and checked against an independent model across 35 test workbooks, including ties and over-sized drop rules, excused and extra-credit items, weights that don't add to 100, rounding before the letter, custom and messy grade scales, messy data and a full 10-course, 500-item file.

Other apps: not yet tested. It's built as a standard .xlsx with no macros and uses only long-standing functions (IF, AND, OR, INDEX, MATCH, COUNTIF/COUNTIFS, SUMIFS, SMALL, ROUND, INT, TODAY and similar). That's a good sign, but it isn't a test, so we don't claim it works in Excel, Google Sheets or Numbers yet.

Known limits. One term per file: 10 courses, 80 categories and 500 items. Drops are chosen by lowest percentage, which can differ from platforms that drop whichever score helps the total most. Your school's official grade is what counts. Phones and tablets haven't been tested.

How to use it

1. Download the blank .xlsx (or the example one) and the PDF guide from the product page on the Tidewick site.
2. Open the .xlsx in LibreOffice Calc (free), where it has been tested. Other apps haven't been tested yet.
3. On Settings, check the grade scale against your school's and add credits and GPA from earlier terms if you want a cumulative GPA.
4. On Courses, add each course with its credits, grading method and target letter.
5. On Categories, copy each course's weights from the syllabus and how many lowest scores are dropped.
6. On Items, list every assignment, quiz and exam for the term with points possible, including future ones. Type points earned as grades come back, and read Summary.

Questions

Do I need Excel?

No. It has been tested in LibreOffice Calc, which is free. It's a standard .xlsx with no macros, but it hasn't been tested in Excel, Google Sheets or Numbers yet.

My syllabus weights don't add up to 100. Is that a problem?

No. Weights are scaled to their total, so 20/30/40 works like 22%/33%/44%. Courses shows the total so you can spot typos.

How is "needed on the rest" different from a final-exam calculator?

It counts every item still to come in every category, not just the final, and it applies your category weights and drops. It's the single average score on all remaining work that reaches your target.

How does drop-the-lowest work?

The lowest percentage scores in that category are dropped, ties drop the earlier row, and the last graded score is never dropped. Needed and projected figures keep today's drops, so the real result can differ slightly once new scores replace a drop.

What's the difference between the three grading methods?

Total points per category divides points earned by points possible inside each category. Each item counts equally averages the item percentages. Total points ignores weights and divides all points earned by all points possible.

Can I use my school's grade scale?

Yes. Edit the letters, minimum percentages and grade points on Settings, in any order. Leave grade points blank for a pass letter, and set rounding if your school rounds before giving a letter.

How big can it get?

10 courses, 80 categories and 500 items per term.

Does it cost anything?

No. It's a free download with no sign-up.