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How to Pass Final Exams

Last Updated: March 29, 2024 Fact Checked

This article was co-authored by Alexander Ruiz, M.Ed. . Alexander Ruiz is an Educational Consultant and the Educational Director of Link Educational Institute, a tutoring business based in Claremont, California that provides customizable educational plans, subject and test prep tutoring, and college application consulting. With over a decade and a half of experience in the education industry, Alexander coaches students to increase their self-awareness and emotional intelligence while achieving skills and the goal of achieving skills and higher education. He holds a BA in Psychology from Florida International University and an MA in Education from Georgia Southern University. There are 51 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 783,097 times.

If you’re a student, exams are an important part not only of any class, but also your final grade. Preparing throughout the semester is the most effective way to do well on your final exams. Ultimately, there’s just no shortcut for knowing the material. However, even if it’s the night before your final exam and you’re feeling unprepared, don’t panic. There are plenty of things you can do to help you pass your exams.

Preparing Throughout the Semester

• Make sure to pay attention to the breakdown of how assignments, attendance, and exams factor in to your grade. This will help you prioritize how much you need to study, and where to focus your attention.
• If you have any questions on the syllabus, ask the professor. It’s much better to ask a question at the beginning than plow on with no idea of what you’re doing.

• Most exams are based on what is covered in class, so skipping class is never advisable. Some teachers will penalize absences, meaning you might not even pass the class if you skip.
• Teachers and professors usually discuss what is likely to be on an exam during classes, so if you aren’t in class you can’t get this crucial information.
• If you cannot attend class, let your professor know in advance. Ask her what you will miss in class and if there is anything you can do to make up for the absence and get the information.
• Don’t ask your teacher or professor questions like “Did I miss anything in class yesterday?” The assumption is that all days give you valuable information, and questions like this come across as disrespectful of your teacher.
• Don’t “zone out.” Sometimes, it’s tempting to play solitaire or check your phone during class instead of listening, especially if you’re in a class you feel you understand pretty well. However, you might miss something important if you do this. Stay attentive for the whole class period. [2] X Research source

• Come prepared. Use a binder or notebook, and bring pens or pencils to class. If you will be discussing things from a book, bring a highlighter too. Teachers will often say things like, “This passage is very significant for understanding ____ in general” or “Make sure you understand the information in this sidebar.” If your teacher notes something specific in class, mark it immediately. [4] X Research source
• Taking notes is a delicate balancing act between getting too little and too much information. You don’t want to write down everything a professor says, just the important information. For example, it’s less important to know what type of planes bombed Dresden in February of 1945 than why the bombing was significant for World War II.
• Try using keywords instead of trying to copy out full sentences. Trying to take dictation from your professor could mean you don’t get the essence of what’s really important. Try using key phrases and words instead of full sentences.
• Take notes by hand. Studies have shown that people learn more by writing notes instead of typing them in to a computer or recording them on a device. [5] X Research source
• Check out some note-taking systems. There are a bunch of systems for learning how to take notes. Cal Poly has information on several types, along with their pros and cons.

• Make sure to take notes on the reading assignment as you read. Just like taking notes from lectures, you only need to write down the most important information. [6] X Research source
• Skim back over your reading assignments every few weeks. You don’t have to go through everything in-depth, but going back over the main points will help them “gel” in your memory, so you can access them later on the exam.

• The material you use and produce for any type of assignment may show up on an exam. Everything from math or scientific problems to short essays will help you be prepared and pass an exam.
• Participating in class discussions will also help you pass an exam because it gives you a chance to verbalize and work out your thoughts with other students and the professor.

Prepping for Each Exam

• If you aren’t sure what your grade is, check your syllabus. Most teachers give “weights” to assignments and other course elements (participation, etc.). You should be able to get a rough idea of how you’re doing from this.
• If you’re still unsure about your performance, talk with your teacher.

• Check to see if this information is on the class syllabus. Paying attention in class will also help, since most teachers and professors will announce what material the exam will cover.
• If you are not sure or missed a day of class, you can ask your teacher or professor, but it’s important to not annoy them with repeated or overly detailed requests. Simply asking “could you please tell me what material I need to know for the exam?” is enough to direct your study time. [8] X Trustworthy Source Edutopia Educational nonprofit organization focused on encouraging and celebrating classroom innovation Go to source

• For example, if you know that you need absolute silence to concentrate on the material you need to learn, you can either study in a library or in a quiet room at home. You may also be someone who needs a little noise or commotion to help you focus.
• ”Multitasking” is a myth. While you might think you’re able to watch TV, text your friends, and study for exams at the same time, your brain simply can’t handle that many competing streams of information. Give yourself some quiet, dedicated study time, and leave the other stuff for your leisure time. [10] X Trustworthy Source American Psychological Association Leading scientific and professional organization of licensed psychologists Go to source [11] X Research source

• If you are in college and have an exam in one of your major or minor fields, you’ll want to give the most time to studying for these exams over general education courses, for instance.
• If you are doing poorly in any class, devote enough time to studying for this class to make sure that you pass it and don’t have to repeat it.

• You can study simply by reviewing your notes for 20-30 minutes a day. If you have any questions, ask the professor.

• Studying by reviewing class notes, thinking of discussions, or going to a study group will often remind you of information you forgot over the course of the term.
• It’s important to have confidence that you will pass. But beware of overconfidence, which can sabotage your ability to think clearly about an exam.
• Consider making free associations between information you learn and what you know. You can also make up things to help you out. [13] X Trustworthy Source American Psychological Association Leading scientific and professional organization of licensed psychologists Go to source
• It may also help you to write index cards with information you need to know.

• Teachers and professors will sometimes offer study sessions for their classes. These are an excellent opportunity to learn material that will likely be on an exam as well as ask any lingering questions you may have.

• You can take any essay or problem and use it as your mock exam. [18] X Research source
• Make sure you do the mock exam in the same allotted time as the actual exam. [19] X Research source
• If you test yourself just twice, you will remember 75-80% of the material two weeks later. With no practice tests, that figure is just 20%.
• Reader Poll: We asked 143 wikiHow readers, and 69% of them agreed that the best way to prepare for a test is to take online practice tests . [Take Poll]

• You will not learn a lot of new content within 24 hours of an exam. [21] X Trustworthy Source American Psychological Association Leading scientific and professional organization of licensed psychologists Go to source

Caring for Your Body and Mind

• Stick to your regular sleep cycle as much as possible. Disrupting your sleep schedule by staying up too late or waking up before your body has fully rested messes with your REM (rapid-eye movement) sleep, which will leave you feeling sluggish and can hinder your memory. [23] X Research source
• Set aside a specific time to study for an exam and use that time wisely. Then, go to bed! [24] X Research source
• Take off at least one full day a week to give your brain and body a chance to rest and recover from studying.

• Try starting your day off with complex carbohydrates, such as oatmeal and whole grains. Complex carbohydrates help your body produce energy that your brain needs to perform. Because they digest slowly over a longer period of time, you’re less likely to get nasty blood sugar spikes and crashes, too.
• You might also want to incorporate some eggs into your diet. Eggs contain choline, which is linked to memory and cognitive performance. [26] X Trustworthy Source Cleveland Clinic Educational website from one of the world's leading hospitals Go to source
• Oily fish that contain omega-3 fatty acids, such as salmon, are also tied to brain function. A salmon croquette isn’t going to ace your test for you, but the protein and nutrients will definitely help boost your brainpower. [27] X Research source
• Avoid simple carbohydrates and processed sugar. These may give you a temporary energy bump, but they cause crashes and fatigue later. If you crave something sweet, go for fruits -- especially those that contain vitamin C, which may help improve your mental functioning. [28] X Trustworthy Source HelpGuide Nonprofit organization dedicated to providing free, evidence-based mental health and wellness resources. Go to source Salty snackers may prefer pumpkin seeds or nuts, which have vitamin E and zinc.

• Adolescents (under 18) should limit caffeine intake to about 100mg a day. [30] X Research source Depending on the variety, that can be as little as a single cup of coffee, or two 12-ounce cans of cola. [31] X Research source Adults should keep caffeine intake between 200mg-400mg a day. [32] X Trustworthy Source PubMed Central Journal archive from the U.S. National Institutes of Health Go to source
• Men need, on average, 13 cups (3 liters) of water per day. Women need about 9 cups (2.2 liters) of water per day. [33] X Trustworthy Source National Institutes of Health U.S. government agency for biomedical and public health research Go to source
• Get yourself a refillable water bottle. You may be more likely to drink water from a bottle than a glass, especially if you often drink bottled soft drinks.
• Avoid alcohol, especially the night before a big exam. In addition to the hangovers and other nasty side effects, alcohol dehydrates you, which can cause fatigue on test day.

• Use outcome and process visualization to imagine yourself achieving your goal. Imagine what it looks like for you to pass your final exam. Imagine this success in as much detail as possible. Then, imagine the steps you need to take to achieve your goal. In this case, things like “taking notes,” “going to class,” and “studying” are obvious steps you could envision. [35] X Research source
• Use the “palming method” of visualization to help you relax. Close your eyes and cover them with the palms of your hands. Don’t touch your eyeballs. Imagine a scene that’s very relaxing to you, such as a day at the beach or curled up in bed with a good book. Picture as many details as possible to make it realistic, and spend 1-2 minutes enjoying the relaxing scene. Open your eyes and wait 1-2 minutes, then repeat the visualization scene. This process will give you a “safe place” to help you feel calm and relaxed before you sit down to your exam.

• A few minutes of deep breathing will oxygenate your brain and help you feel relaxed and ready to perform. Inhale deeply through your nose for a 4-count. Hold the breath for 1-2 seconds, then slowly release the breath through your mouth for a 4-count. Repeat this 6-8 times per minute for 5 minutes or so. [37] X Trustworthy Source HelpGuide Nonprofit organization dedicated to providing free, evidence-based mental health and wellness resources. Go to source
• Try yoga . The deep breathing and meditation in yoga have been scientifically shown to reduce test anxiety. [38] X Trustworthy Source PubMed Central Journal archive from the U.S. National Institutes of Health Go to source
• Try the “tensing and differential relaxation method.” This involves tensing and relaxing your muscles all at once. Put your feet flat on the floor while sitting in a chair. Grab the seat. Push down with your feet, and pull up on the chair at the same time for 5 seconds. Relax for 5 seconds, then repeat 2-3 times.

• Get at least 2.5 hours of moderate-intensity activity, such as jogging or brisk walking, per week. [41] X Trustworthy Source Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Main public health institute for the US, run by the Dept. of Health and Human Services Go to source
• Try things that get your heart rate pumping, like swimming, jogging, martial arts, or even dancing.
• A little is better than none. Even 20 minutes a day of cardio can boost your memory. [42] X Trustworthy Source American Psychological Association Leading scientific and professional organization of licensed psychologists Go to source

• Your brain consumes glucose when you’re studying. Give yourself a mini-break (5 minutes or so) every hour. Stretch, take a short walk, or grab a brain-boosting snack such as fruit or almonds. This gives your body time to replenish your glucose stores. [44] X Trustworthy Source Harvard Business Review Online and print journal covering topics related to business management practices Go to source

Performing on Exam Day

• Read over your course notes the morning of the exam. Figure out if there were any subjects the professor highlighted in lectures and focus on these.
• If you haven’t done any reading, read the introductions and conclusions of any article and books. This will help you figure out the most important arguments and facts about a subject.
• Have a study group with friends the night before the exam if you can. Talk through any points that you may not understand.
• Review the hardest stuff right before you go to bed the night before the exam. This may help you recall it more easily during test-time. [45] X Research source

• A good meal will give your body and brain energy to perform their best during the exam.

• Don’t eat heavy meals before an exam, which will divert blood from your brain for digestion. Soup or a salad with some protein are good, light choices that will give you energy without weighing you down.
• Make sure that you’re hydrated before an exam. One of the symptoms of dehydration is fatigue, so bring a bottle of water with you.
• You can have a cup of coffee or tea if you like. One or two cups may temporarily increase feelings of alertness. [47] X Trustworthy Source American Heart Association Leading nonprofit that funds medical research and public education Go to source The effect wears off fairly quickly, however, and more than two cups could actually cause impairment, so use moderation. [48] X Trustworthy Source PubMed Central Journal archive from the U.S. National Institutes of Health Go to source
• Chewing mints or mint gum will also help you stay alert. Studies have shown that mints or mint gum increased alertness, accelerated reaction time, and increased how people process information. [49] X Research source
• Don’t load up on sugar just before a test. If you’re craving something sweet, try dark fruits (plums, blueberries, etc.) or a small square of dark chocolate. [50] X Trustworthy Source Johns Hopkins Medicine Official resource database of the world-leading Johns Hopkins Hospital Go to source

• If you attended class, did your work, and studied, you can be confident that you will pass the exam.
• If you took the time to go to a study session or discuss the exam and your standing in class with your professor, you can have confidence in your ability to pass the exam.
• Knowing that you have formulated a plan to complete each section of the exam will also instill confidence in you.

• Make sure to find out where your exam is ahead of time, and note the location in a place you can easily find it later.
• Set an alarm so you arrive on time. In fact, setting more than one alarm may help you feel more at ease.

• Answer easy questions first. Not only will this get them out of the way, it can help boost your confidence for the harder stuff.
• Eliminate any obviously wrong answers. If you can, cross out any answers that are obviously wrong. Even if you don’t know the right answer, you increase your chances of guessing correctly.
• For essay questions, write an outline before writing the essay. Note down your main “argument” or thesis plus the main points you want to hit. This will help you stay on track as you write your response.
• Review your answers before you submit your exam. Look for any incomplete or missing answers, errors, etc.

• Cheating will guarantee not only that you fail a class, but also could have other significant consequences such as expulsion.

• Before you start, read over the entire exam and identify the easiest, most difficult, and most time consuming sections of the exam.
• Break the time of the exam down by section. For example, if you have two hours to finish two essays, you can take one hour to compose each. Or if there is one essay and eight identification and short essays, you can break this up based on time as well as your strengths and weaknesses. [52] X Research source
• Decide on the best strategy for you. After you’ve read the exam, figure out the best strategy to finish the exam based on your strengths and weaknesses.

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• ↑ https://www.psychologicalscience.org/observer/how-should-students-study-tips-advice-and-pitfalls
• ↑ https://jerz.setonhill.edu/writing/academic1/taking-notes-5-college-success-tips/
• ↑ https://kidshealth.org/en/teens/take-notes.html
• ↑ https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/a-learning-secret-don-t-take-notes-with-a-laptop/
• ↑ https://learningcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/effective-note-taking-in-class/
• ↑ Alexander Ruiz, M.Ed.. Educational Consultant. Expert Interview. 18 June 2020.
• ↑ https://www.edutopia.org/discussion/7-ways-increase-students-attention-span
• ↑ https://www.apa.org/ed/precollege/psychology-teacher-network/introductory-psychology/study-better
• ↑ https://www.apa.org/topics/research/multitasking
• ↑ https://www.psychologytoday.com/intl/blog/the-power-of-prime/201103/technology-myth-of-multitasking
• ↑ https://hbr.org/2020/01/time-management-is-about-more-than-life-hacks
• ↑ https://www.apa.org/gradpsych/2011/11/study-smart
• ↑ https://academicresourcecenter.harvard.edu/study-groups
• ↑ https://www.uopeople.edu/blog/find-a-quiet-place-to-study/
• ↑ https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/ulterior-motives/201807/surprising-reason-why-learning-is-harder-noise
• ↑ https://www.psychologicalscience.org/publications/journals/pspi/learning-techniques.html
• ↑ https://learningcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/studying-101-study-smarter-not-harder/
• ↑ https://learningcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/tackling-test-anxiety/
• ↑ https://www.edutopia.org/article/research-tested-benefits-breaks/
• ↑ https://www.apa.org/monitor/2019/01/break
• ↑ https://www.sleepfoundation.org/how-sleep-works/why-do-we-need-sleep
• ↑ https://www.sleepfoundation.org/sleep-hygiene/how-to-reset-your-sleep-routine
• ↑ https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1067747.pdf
• ↑ https://www.healthychildren.org/English/healthy-living/nutrition/Pages/Breakfast-for-Learning.aspx
• ↑ https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/17290-omega-3-fatty-acids
• ↑ https://www.mountsinai.org/health-library/supplement/vitamin-c-ascorbic-acid
• ↑ https://www.helpguide.org/articles/healthy-eating/choosing-healthy-carbs.htm
• ↑ https://www.heart.org/en/healthy-living/fitness/fitness-basics/staying-hydrated-staying-healthy
• ↑ https://kidshealth.org/en/parents/child-caffeine.html
• ↑ https://kidshealth.org/en/parents/habits.html
• ↑ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5445139/
• ↑ https://www.nih.gov/news-events/news-releases/good-hydration-linked-healthy-aging
• ↑ http://www.adaa.org/living-with-anxiety/children/test-anxiety
• ↑ https://positivepsychology.com/goal-setting/
• ↑ https://adaa.org/find-help/by-demographics/children-anxiety-depression
• ↑ https://www.helpguide.org/meditations/deep-breathing-meditation.htm
• ↑ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3573544/
• ↑ https://www.helpguide.org/articles/healthy-living/how-to-start-exercising-and-stick-to-it.htm
• ↑ https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/regular-exercise-changes-brain-improve-memory-thinking-skills-201404097110
• ↑ https://www.cdc.gov/physicalactivity/basics/adults/index.htm
• ↑ https://www.apa.org/topics/exercise-fitness/stress
• ↑ https://hbr.org/2018/09/give-yourself-a-break-the-power-of-self-compassion
• ↑ https://summer.harvard.edu/blog/14-tips-for-test-taking-success/
• ↑ https://kidshealth.org/en/teens/test-anxiety.html
• ↑ https://www.heart.org/en/news/2022/08/08/is-caffeine-a-friend-or-foe
• ↑ https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23108937/
• ↑ https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/your-brain-food/201208/gum-chewing-is-good-the-brain
• ↑ https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness-and-prevention/the-benefits-of-having-a-healthy-relationship-with-chocolate
• ↑ https://learningcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/metacognitive-study-strategies/

About This Article

To pass final exams, take practice exams from the back of your textbooks or online to identify your weak areas so you can give them extra attention. You can also study for your exams by reading the introductions and conclusions to your assigned readings, which will help you learn the most important points without reading all of the chapters. If you took notes in class, go over them the morning of the exam to quickly refresh your memory. During the exam, answer easy questions first to get them out of the way and boost your confidence for harder questions. For tips from our Education reviewer on how to tackle essay questions on an exam, keep reading! Did this summary help you? Yes No

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Grade Calculator

Use this calculator to find out the grade of a course based on weighted averages. This calculator accepts both numerical as well as letter grades. It also can calculate the grade needed for the remaining assignments in order to get a desired grade for an ongoing course.

Final Grade Calculator

Use this calculator to find out the grade needed on the final exam in order to get a desired grade in a course. It accepts letter grades, percentage grades, and other numerical inputs.

Related GPA Calculator

The calculators above use the following letter grades and their typical corresponding numerical equivalents based on grade points.

Brief history of different grading systems

In 1785, students at Yale were ranked based on "optimi" being the highest rank, followed by second optimi, inferiore (lower), and pejores (worse). At William and Mary, students were ranked as either No. 1, or No. 2, where No. 1 represented students that were first in their class, while No. 2 represented those who were "orderly, correct and attentive." Meanwhile at Harvard, students were graded based on a numerical system from 1-200 (except for math and philosophy where 1-100 was used). Later, shortly after 1883, Harvard used a system of "Classes" where students were either Class I, II, III, IV, or V, with V representing a failing grade. All of these examples show the subjective, arbitrary, and inconsistent nature with which different institutions graded their students, demonstrating the need for a more standardized, albeit equally arbitrary grading system.

In 1887, Mount Holyoke College became the first college to use letter grades similar to those commonly used today. The college used a grading scale with the letters A, B, C, D, and E, where E represented a failing grade. This grading system however, was far stricter than those commonly used today, with a failing grade being defined as anything below 75%. The college later re-defined their grading system, adding the letter F for a failing grade (still below 75%). This system of using a letter grading scale became increasingly popular within colleges and high schools, eventually leading to the letter grading systems typically used today. However, there is still significant variation regarding what may constitute an A, or whether a system uses plusses or minuses (i.e. A+ or B-), among other differences.

An alternative to the letter grading system

Letter grades provide an easy means to generalize a student's performance. They can be more effective than qualitative evaluations in situations where "right" or "wrong" answers can be easily quantified, such as an algebra exam, but alone may not provide a student with enough feedback in regards to an assessment like a written paper (which is much more subjective).

Although a written analysis of each individual student's work may be a more effective form of feedback, there exists the argument that students and parents are unlikely to read the feedback, and that teachers do not have the time to write such an analysis. There is precedence for this type of evaluation system however, in Saint Ann's School in New York City, an arts-oriented private school that does not have a letter grading system. Instead, teachers write anecdotal reports for each student. This method of evaluation focuses on promoting learning and improvement, rather than the pursuit of a certain letter grade in a course. For better or for worse however, these types of programs constitute a minority in the United States, and though the experience may be better for the student, most institutions still use a fairly standard letter grading system that students will have to adjust to. The time investment that this type of evaluation method requires of teachers/professors is likely not viable on university campuses with hundreds of students per course. As such, although there are other high schools such as Sanborn High School that approach grading in a more qualitative way, it remains to be seen whether such grading methods can be scalable. Until then, more generalized forms of grading like the letter grading system are unlikely to be entirely replaced. However, many educators already try to create an environment that limits the role that grades play in motivating students. One could argue that a combination of these two systems would likely be the most realistic, and effective way to provide a more standardized evaluation of students, while promoting learning.

• EXPLORE Random Article

How to Pass a Class

Last Updated: November 23, 2022 Approved

This article was co-authored by Emily Listmann, MA . Emily Listmann is a private tutor in San Carlos, California. She has worked as a Social Studies Teacher, Curriculum Coordinator, and an SAT Prep Teacher. She received her MA in Education from the Stanford Graduate School of Education in 2014. There are 19 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. wikiHow marks an article as reader-approved once it receives enough positive feedback. In this case, several readers have written to tell us that this article was helpful to them, earning it our reader-approved status. This article has been viewed 162,349 times.

Even the best and brightest students may eventually run into a class that they'll have serious trouble passing. If you're having difficulty with a certain subject, don't fret! There are many things you can do to improve your performance and avoid the dreaded "F." Be prepared to put in some hard work, take some time to understand how your grade will be determined, and don't be ashamed to ask for help if you need it.

Salvaging a Poor Grade

• For example, if the teacher speaks very quickly and you have a hard time taking notes during class, ask for permission to record the lectures. That way, you can listen to them again later at your own pace.

• Many instructors will be able to give you helpful study tips or insights on how to perform better on assignments. In some cases, you might even be given an extension on assignments you are struggling to complete on time.
• Don't wait until the last minute to communicate with your teacher. If they don't hear from you until the end of a course, there may not be much that can be done at that stage even if the instructor would like to help. Further, if you don't communicate with the teacher early, they may assume you just don't care about your performance in the course.

• While you probably still won't be able to get full credit for a revised assignment, many instructors will be open to this possibility, because it shows you want to learn from your mistakes and improve your performance. For this reason, many instructors will be more open to this than offering extra credit opportunities. [2] X Research source
• In making this request, explain that you would appreciate another opportunity to show you have mastered the material. Try to make it about demonstrating what you have learned, not just about a grade.

• If you have a course syllabus, look at what the instructor's policy is for late work. This will give you some sense of how likely it is your request will be granted. [3] X Trustworthy Source Association for Psychological Science Nonprofit organization devoted promoting trustworthy research and education in the psychological sciences Go to source
• If you missed work for medical reasons, be prepared to show documentation of your illness if possible. Many instructors require this.
• If you miss an assignment or exam due to illness, a crisis, or some other unavoidable situation, let your instructor know as soon as possible. You will be more likely to be given a chance to make up the work if you do so.

• If you don't see any listed in the syllabus, it doesn't hurt to ask if there will be any opportunities of this sort. While many teachers are unlikely to create an extra credit assignment just for you, if enough people ask, they may offer an opportunity like this to all the students.
• Do not beg for extra credit. Instead, think in advance about some reasons you can offer for why you should be granted an opportunity to earn extra points. Be prepared to make a strong case for your position. Arguments such as "I really need to pass this class" are unlikely to take you far.

Strategizing for Success

• For example, if 60% of your grade comes from exams, you should spend the majority of your work time studying for exams. On the other hand, if 60% of your grade comes from papers or other assignments, you should focus a large portion of your energy there.
• Calculate the scores you need to achieve on the remaining assignments to pass the class. You could even use an online calculator to help you figure this out, such as http://www.benegg.net/grade_calculator.html .
• In most college courses, this information should be spelled out in the syllabus. If your teacher hasn't provided this information for you in printed form or on a course website, don't hesitate to ask.

• For example, if you do very well on coursework assignments, but are struggling with exams, you want to consider spending less time on the coursework and more time preparing for tests.

• In an ideal world, every student would have time to come to every class, regularly review their notes, and do every assignment. For a variety of reasons, many students cannot. It may feel wrong to neglect certain aspects of a class in favor of others, but sometimes it's better to skip (or not dedicate much time to) one assignment in favor of another. Likewise, sometimes studying for a major exam is more important than doing a less important homework assignment. [6] X Research source
• For example, imagine coursework makes up 30% of your final grade, and you currently have a 90% average on your coursework assignments. Imagine exams make up 40% of your grade, and you only have a 52% in this area. If there's both a major exam and a piece of coursework due next Friday, it probably makes sense to spend the bulk of your time studying for the exam, even if that might mean skipping the coursework entirely.

Seeking Outside Help

• When you go to office hours, come with specific questions or topics you want to discuss or review. This will help you get focused attention where you most need it. Furthermore, most teachers don't appreciate it when students come to office hours with no idea what they want to cover.
• Do not just bring your homework or study guide to office hours and ask the instructor to fill it out for you. Teachers find this very frustrating.

• Study groups allow students to pool their knowledge and understanding of the course, sharing information with each other and creating a regular study schedule. [8] X Research source
• Ask people you know in the course if they are studying with other people. If you can't find a study group, you might try to start one yourself by asking other students if they'd be interested in participating in one.

• Many schools offer free tutoring services to students in the form of writing or tutoring centers. There is usually no additional cost for using these services. [9] X Research source Find out if your school has such a program, and when it's open. You may need to make an appointment, so find out about that, too.
• If you have the money, you can also hire a private tutor to work with you. You can either hire an individual tutor or enlist the services of a tutoring business. Look online and on bulletin boards around your school to find out what services may be offered near you. Your school's website may even have listings for tutors available to help in different subject areas. [10] X Research source

Becoming a Dedicated Student

• Even if material from class sessions is duplicated in course readings, attending class will give you a sense of where you should focus your studies.
• Attending class gives you a chance to ask about material you are confused by or having trouble with.
• Some teachers include an attendance score in calculating final grades. Even those that don't are less likely be accommodating with extra help for students who don't come to class, as they appear to not be making an effort.

• As with poor attendance, teachers often don't look favorably upon students who don't show up on time. Being late is disrespectful and disruptive. If you need help from your teacher in the form of extensions or extra credit, being on time regularly may make the teacher more likely to be lenient.

• Many classes have a participation component in the final grade, sometimes a large one. [14] X Research source Not participating can mean losing valuable points.
• Being attentive in class will help you better understand the material.
• Asking questions in class can help you grasp challenging concepts, and also signals to the instructor that you are engaged and trying your best.

• Notes can be the basis for a study guide when it comes time to study for exams.
• Taking notes helps reinforce the material in your brain and will help you remember it later. [15] X Research source
• Taking notes by hand, rather than with a computer, is thought to be especially helpful in making material easier to remember and understand. [16] X Trustworthy Source Association for Psychological Science Nonprofit organization devoted promoting trustworthy research and education in the psychological sciences Go to source This can be more challenging, but for many people helps significantly with recalling information.

• Even getting an "F" on a homework assignment you struggle with is much better than getting no points at all.
• Many assignments will be designed to teach and reinforce information or ideas that will be important later in the course, e.g. on exams. [17] X Research source
• If you have free time in class to do homework, then look over the assignment and ask questions about it if you are having trouble.
• Doing assigned readings is important, too. Most teachers will not assign a reading just to give you something to do. Course readings typically contain important information which may not be covered in lectures or other class sessions. [18] X Research source

• When you read for class, underline, highlight, or take notes indicate ideas or information that seems most important. This will make review go more quickly and easily. [19] X Research source
• Create a study guide before exams that lists or visually maps the most important concepts and ideas. Go over it several times to make sure you are comfortable with all of the main course concepts.
• Start studying early. Don't try to just cram on the night before the exam. Studying throughout the course, or at least for several days leading up to an exam, will give you more chances to rehearse the information and commit it to memory.

Expert Q&A

• Get enough sleep. Sleep deprivation wreaks havoc on your attention span and your ability to listen and synthesize information. Coffee is no substitute for giving your brain proper rest. Thanks Helpful 1 Not Helpful 0
• Always eat a good breakfast. This provides the fuel your body and brain need to function efficiently during class. Thanks Helpful 1 Not Helpful 0
• You may need to take a day off to relax sometimes. If you do, make sure to make up the work for that day if you can. Thanks Helpful 1 Not Helpful 0

You Might Also Like

• ↑ https://www.collegeparentcentral.com/2009/10/why-your-college-student-should-talk-to-her-professor-if-shes-struggling/
• ↑ http://www.facultyfocus.com/articles/educational-assessment/learning-from-mistakes-a-different-approach-to-partial-credit/
• ↑ http://www.psychologicalscience.org/index.php/publications/observer/2006/june-06/dealing-with-students-missing-exams-and-in-class-graded-assignments.html
• ↑ http://www.facultyfocus.com/articles/teaching-and-learning/does-extra-credit-have-a-place-in-the-college-classroom/
• ↑ http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational-leadership/dec09/vol67/num04/When-Students-Track-Their-Progress.aspx
• ↑ http://faculty.bucks.edu/specpop/time-manage.htm
• ↑ http://collegeinfogeek.com/make-the-most-out-of-office-hours/
• ↑ http://www.topuniversities.com/blog/joining-study-group-benefits
• ↑ http://www.usnews.com/education/blogs/the-college-experience/2011/10/26/what-college-students-who-need-help-academically-should-do
• ↑ https://www.rit.edu/studentaffairs/tutorforhire/
• ↑ https://www.math.uh.edu/~tomforde/AttendingClass.html
• ↑ http://education.seattlepi.com/advantages-being-time-vs-being-late-school-3477.html
• ↑ http://lawschooltoolbox.com/pay-attention-in-class-it-can-save-you-time/
• ↑ https://www.historians.org/publications-and-directories/perspectives-on-history/november-2009/should-class-participation-be-graded
• ↑ https://gustavus.edu/advising/support/notes.php
• ↑ http://www.psychologicalscience.org/index.php/news/releases/take-notes-by-hand-for-better-long-term-comprehension.html
• ↑ http://www.education.com/reference/article/homework-why-do-it/
• ↑ http://www.chapman.edu/law/student-resources/achievement-program/20-tips-success.aspx
• ↑ https://campushealth.unc.edu/health-topics/academic-success/obstacles-academic-success/avoiding-study-traps

About this article

If you’re doing poorly but want to make sure you pass your class, talk to your teacher to find out how you can improve your grades. Ask if you can do revisions on your tests, make up missed work, or do extra credit. Likewise, make sure you’re attending class everyday and taking notes to help you when you’re studying. To stay on track, do your homework daily and review your notes to help you remember what you’ve learned. For more tips, such as how to get tutoring, keep reading! Did this summary help you? Yes No

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Final Grade Calculator

This tool will determine what grade (percentage) you need on your final exam in order to get a certain grade in a class.

Your current grade is %.

You want (at least) a % in the class.

Your final is worth % of your grade.

Calculate what I need on the final

Since you’ve already taken your final exam, you can now calculate your overall grade.

Your grade was % before.

You got a % on the final.

Calculate my overall grade

If your final is in the “tests” category, then your overall grade will be affected by your current test average and how many tests you’ve taken so far.

Tests are worth % of your grade.

You have taken tests already.

Your test average is %.

The final is worth tests.

If your final has multiple parts and you’ve finished some of them, then you can calculate what you need on the remaining parts. Your current grade should not include any part of your final.

You have parts to your final.

You have taken part(s) already.

Your 1st part is worth points.

Your 2nd part is worth points.

Your 3rd part is worth points.

Your 4th part is worth points.

Your 5th part is worth points.

Your 6th part is worth points.

Your 7th part is worth points.

Your 8th part is worth points.

On part 1, you got points.

On part 2, you got points.

On part 3, you got points.

On part 4, you got points.

On part 5, you got points.

On part 6, you got points.

On part 7, you got points.

Calculate what I need on the rest of the final

You can calculate how much your final is worth by dividing the number of points in your final by the total number of points.

Including the final, there are points possible.

Your final is worth points.

Calculate how much my final is worth

Your overall grade depends on how low your lowest test grades are. If your final replaces your lowest test grade, then tell the calculator that your lowest 1 test is dropped and your final also counts as 1 test.

Your have taken tests already.

Your lowest tests are dropped.

Lowest test grade was %.

2nd lowest test was %.

3rd lowest test was %.

4th lowest test was %.

5th lowest test was %.

6th lowest test was %.

7th lowest test was %.

8th lowest test was %.

Your final also counts as tests.

Your final is also worth % of your grade.

Have another question? Try one of these:

• I took the final. What’s my overall grade?
• My final counts as a test. What do I need to get?
• There are 2+ parts in my final. What do I have to get on them?
• My class has a point system. How much is the final worth?
• My lowest test grade is dropped. What do I need to get?
• I need something else (advanced mode) .

How does this work? Most class grades are made up of several categories: homework, classwork, tests/quizzes, and the final exam. Usually, each category is worth a percentage of your overall grade. But because your final exam isn't scored until the very end, it isn't included when calculating your current overall grade. Instead, all the other categories are scaled up to consume the weight reserved for the final exam. Therefore, you can calculate the minimum grade you need to score on the final exam using the formula:

Required = (Goal − Current × (100% − Final Weight)) / Final Weight

See the formula sheet for an explanation of this formula and other formulas used in this calculator. It's not rocket science, it's just math! You could, of course, do this on any calculator, but you're here on RogerHub because it's cool. (:

I need more help! Try one of the different calculator modes listed above. The advanced mode handles many different kinds of situations, such as:

• If you have more tests and homework before the final
• When your final counts as a test grade
• Dropping the lowest test grades
• Makeup assignments or test retakes
• Extra credit
• Missing assignments

Comments Check out the comments page if you have other questions or feedback about the calculator.

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Exploring edtech and cognitive psychology.

• NSF Funds Work on Flagging Bad Online Behavior
• Testing AI Fairness in Predicting College Dropout Rate
• Pandemic Lockdowns Boost, Democratize Online Education
• Study Reveals Key Course Features that Draw Diverse Students
• Study: No Single Solution Helps All Students Complete MOOCs

How to Ace Your College Assignments

College can be tough. You’re juggling classes, homework, a social life, and maybe a job on the side. It’s no wonder that sometimes your college assignments don’t get the attention they deserve. But did you know that there are tricks to acing your college assignments? Here are some tips and strategies that will help you get better grades in school!

For many students, college is a big learning curve. It’s a time in your life that involves a lot of change and getting used to many new things. When it comes to college assignments, many students find that things work differently from when they were in high school. The format and types of assessments are different, the criteria for passing can feel unfamiliar, and of course, the level of learning is a step up from high school too.

But getting good grades has a direct impact on your success at college, so it’s important to do as well as you can. So what can you do to get to grips with college assignments so you ace them? Here are some tips.

Read The Instructions

Start by reading the assignment instructions carefully. This may seem obvious, but it’s important to make sure you understand what the task is and what your lecturer or professor is looking for. If you’re unsure about anything, ask for clarification from your instructor. They are there to help you, so you should never feel unsure about going to ask for clarification, or for a little extra direction. You could even ask them what they’re looking for in order to give good grades. For example, is it more about research, or a good writing style? Any tips you can glean from the people marking your assignments will help.

Use Past Papers And Study Materials

When you have a better understanding of what’s required, it can be helpful to use past papers and college study materials to give yourself an idea of the sort of thing that might be expected. Study materials can also give you an idea of the level of detail required and the standard expected by your college. If you’re not sure where to find these things, ask your instructor or librarian for help. Getting hold of some of these past materials will help to give you a framework for your learning, understand the types of assignments your college sets, and what success looks like to them.

Create A Plan And Work Schedule

Once you have a good understanding of the task at hand and what’s expected of you, it’s time to create a plan. This should be a detailed document that outlines everything you need to do in order to complete the assignment to a high standard. Your plan should include a timeline and deadlines for each task, as well as what resources you’ll need and any other information that will help you to complete the assignment.

Work In Short Bursts

One of the best pieces of advice for college students is to work in short bursts . This means setting a timer for a certain amount of time and working on the task at hand for that amount of time, before taking a break. This method is often recommended for students because it’s a more effective way of working than trying to power through for hours on end. It’s also a lot easier to stay focused when you’re working in short bursts. When you take a break, make sure you get up and move around, have a snack, or do something to take your mind off of your work so you can come back refreshed and ready to focus again.

Take Regular Breaks

It’s important to take regular breaks when you’re working on an assignment. This will help to keep you from getting too bogged down in the task and will allow you to come back to it with fresh eyes. When you’re taking a break, make sure you get up and move around, have a snack, or do something to take your mind off of your work so you can come back refreshed and ready to focus again.

Set A Deadline For Yourself

As well as any deadlines set by your instructor, it can be helpful to set a deadline for yourself. This should be a date or time by which you will have completed the assignment. Having a personal deadline will help to keep you on track and motivated to get the work done.

Don’t Leave It To The Last Minute

One of the worst things you can do is leave your college assignment to the last minute. This will only lead to stress and will likely result in a rushed and poorly done piece of work. If you start the assignment early, you’ll have more time to do it properly and you’ll be less likely to make mistakes. It will also give you time to deal with any unexpected circumstances, such as some additional research you decide you need to do, or dealing with a cold that leaves you feeling under the weather for a few days.

Start With The Easy Stuff

When you’re starting an assignment, it can be helpful to start with the easy stuff. This will help to get you into the flow of working on the task and will give you a sense of accomplishment. Once you’ve completed the easy stuff, you can move on to the more challenging tasks. This will help you to stay focused and motivated, and will make the whole process less daunting.

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Grade Calculator

• Grade calculator
• Final grade calculator
• GPA calculator

Understanding how to calculate your current grade in a course is advantageous for planning what you need to achieve your goal’s overall course grade. The following Grade Calculator serves as an easy-to-use helpful tool to calculate your current grade of the course before the final examination.  

What is a Grade Calculator?  

A Grade Calculator is a free online tool designed to help students and educators determine academic grades based on entered scores and weights. It simplifies the process of calculating current grades, helping users navigate their academic journeys.   

The Grade Calculator helps students estimate the impact of each assignment on their course’s weighted average grade. That means the overall grade of a course depends on 2 main factors: the grade of each assignment (g) and the corresponding weight of each assignment (w).  

A Grade calculator helps you find your current average score in a course based on completed assignments up to the current point in the semester. The Final grade calculator then calculates the score you need to achieve in your remaining assignment (the final exam) to reach your desired grade of the course

How to Use a Grade Calculator?  

Using a Grade Calculator is a straightforward process that involves entering relevant information about your academic performance. To utilize this calculator, input your current percentage for each assignment, test, or exam, along with its respective weight towards your final grade. For each additional assignment, test, or exam, click on "Add Assignment." Your results will automatically update as you input each component , allowing you to track your progress throughout the course.  

Here's a step-by-step guide on how to use a Grade Calculator:  

Step 1: Input the Assignments.  

Users manually enter the name of each assignment, for example: Assignment 1, 2, 3, Homework, Final Exam, etc.  

Step 2: Input the grade.  

Enter their scores for each assignment, test, project, or other exam throughout the course. Each entry typically includes the earned percentage (10%, 30%, 50%, etc.), letter (A+, B-, D, etc.), or points (20, 50, 175, etc.).  

Step 3: Input the weight.  

Enter the weight of that assignment into the overall course grade. The weight indicates that different assignments may have varying impacts on the final grade. A final exam might have a higher weight than a small task.  

Step 4: Calculate the grade automatically.  

The tool then automatically calculates the cumulative grade based on the entered grades and weights. Users can see their current grade as well as how each assignment contributes to the overall grade.  

Step 5: Adjust as needed.  

Users can adjust grades or weights to see how changes impact the overall course performance. This dynamic feature allows for real-time exploration of different scenarios, helping users make informed decisions about their academic strategy and goal achievement.  

Weighted Grade Calculation: Formula and Example  

The calculation of a weighted grade involves summing the products of the weights (w) and the corresponding grades (g).  

Weighted Grade = (w₁ × g₁ + w₂ × g₂ + w₃ × g₃ + …) / (g₁ + g₂ + g₃ +...)  

Example 1: Grade type: Percentage  

Determine the weighted grade of a course, in which:  

• Assignment with a grade (percentage) of 80 and a weight of 30.  
• Homework with a grade (percentage) of 90 and a weight of 20.  
• Final exam with a grade (percentage) of 72 and a weight of 50.  

The weighted average grade is determined by the formula:  

Weighted Grade = (w₁ × g₁ + w₂ × g₂ + w₃ × g₃ + …) / (w₁ + w₂ + w₃+...)  

Substituting the values:  

Weighted Grade = (30 × 80 + 20 × 90 + 50 × 72) / (30 + 20 + 50) = 78  

Example 2: Grade type: Letter  

• Assignment 1 with a grade (letter) of A+ and a weight of 20.  
• Assignment 2 with a grade (letter) of B and a weight of 20.  
• Final exam with a grade (letter) of C- and a weight of 60.  

The weighted average grade of the course is calculated by the formula:

Weighted Grade = (w₁ × g₁ + w₂ × g₂ + w₃ × g₃ + …) / (w₁ + w₂ + w₃ +...)  

Weighted Grade = (20 × 4.33 + 20 × 3.00 + 60 × 1.67) / (20 + 20 + 60) = 2.64   

The table below shows how your letter grades convert to a numeric grade (4.0 scale) and percentage grade (% scale):  

Example 3: Grade type: Point  

Consider the following case:  

• For Assignment 1, the grade is 60 out of 80.  
• For Assignment 2, the grade is 30 out of 50.  
• For Homework, the grade is 120 out of 120.  
• For the Final exam, the grade is 60 out of 100.  

The formula to calculate the weighted average grade is:  

Weighted Grade = sum of real grade / sum of maximum grade  

Weighted Grade = (60 + 30 + 120 + 60) / (80 + 50 + 120 + 100) = 77.14  

Important Role of the Grade Calculator in Academic Path  

The Grade Calculator functions as a flexible tool that aids both educators and students, fostering efficiency and transparency. Knowing the average grade is essential for strategic decision-making in scenarios and setting achievable academic goals.  

Scenario Planning:  

Some Grade Calculators allow users to experiment with different scenarios. For instance, students can input hypothetical scores for future assignments or exams to see how they would impact their final grade. This helps in understanding how adjustments to upcoming assessments may impact the overall class performance.  

Teachers can use a Grade Calculator to streamline the grading process. By inputting scores and weights, the tool can quickly calculate overall grades, saving time and ensuring accuracy.  

Goal Setting:    

Users can set grade goals and determine the scores needed on upcoming assessments to achieve those goals. This application is particularly helpful for students who aim for a specific final course grade. Goal-setting helps students set realistic academic goals and understand the scores needed to achieve them. Knowing their current grade and having the ability to plan for future assessments can reduce stress for students.  

The Grade calculator provides the average score for a specific course. Students can use this result to calculate their GPA, which represents the average score across all their courses. In essence, the output from the Grade calculator acts as the input for the GPA calculator.

3 Outstanding Features of Grade Calculator  

Using our Grade Calculator is simple and straightforward, even if you are a first-time user. The Grade Calculator is crafted with the user in mind, offering many noticeable benefits:  

Customizable by Adding or Subtracting Assignments  

Recognizing the diversity of grading systems in different educational institutions, the tool offers customization options. Users have the flexibility to tailor the tool to their specific needs. For example, users can add as many assignments as they want, and adjust the weight to align with their school's unique grading system.  

Compatible with Multiple Devices  

The tool is accessible across various platforms to accommodate different user preferences and device types. It is available as both a web application and a mobile app. Users can access it conveniently from desktops, laptops, tablets, and smartphones.  

Easy-to-Understand and Easy-to-Use Interface  

The user interface is designed to be intuitive and user-friendly, prioritizing ease of use. Input fields are labeled logically, ensuring users can easily understand and input the required information. The overall design focuses on simplicity enhancing the overall user experience.  

To sum up, the Grade Calculator is considered a trusted tool for students and educators alike on their academic journeys. Its friendly interface and accurate calculations make it a valuable companion, helping everyone calculate the grade of the course effectively.  

Grade Calculator - FAQs  

What grade do i need to pass a college class  .

The grade needed to pass a college class varies depending on the grading system used by the schools, colleges, and academic institutions . In many cases, a passing grade is a D or higher, which is usually equivalent to a numerical grade of 60% or more. However, some programs or courses may require a higher minimum passing grade, so it's important to check your college's policies.  

How do you calculate the percentage grade?  

To calculate a percentage grade, you divide the points earned by the total points possible and then multiply by 100. For example, if you earned 85 points out of a possible 100, your percentage grade would be: (85/100) * 100 = 85%.  

How much will a 0 affect my grade?  

A zero can significantly impact your grade, especially if it's for a major assignment or test. Since a zero has a large weight in the calculation of your average score, it can pull down your overall grade significantly.  

How much will a 71 affect my grade?  

The impact of a 71 on your grade depends on several factors, such as the weight of the assignment or test in the overall course grade and the grading scale used by your instructor. If the 71 is for a major assignment or test and carries a significant weight in the course, it could have a noticeable effect on your overall grade, potentially lowering it. However, if the assignment is one of many and has a lower weight in the course, its impact may be less significant.

How to Pass a Course/Assignments

Sometimes the amount of assignments is overwhelming, however, it's vital to turn in every single assignment. Any credit that can be accumulated, even if it's partial credit, can be helpful at the end. Learn to use the 80-20 rule: 20 percent of your effort will give you 80 percent of the credit. For example, if an assignment would take you 10 hours for an A worthy paper, 2 hours will most likely yield a B worthy paper. Make sure you go for that B, and if time permits, polish it to make it an A. However, an assignment that's not turned in will give you no credit at all. It is also important to turn the assignments in on time in order to avoid losing credit for simply turning in something late.

• 1 The Outline
• 2 Creating the content
• 3 Wrapping up the paper
• 4 Final details

The Outline [ edit | edit source ]

Fire up your favorite word processor and start with the outline. Write down every single heading that you will need. Basically each heading should correspond to each point that the paper should have. Your professor might have given you a list of points that the paper must contain, if that's the case, then that should be your outline. Take each point, in order, and turn it into a heading. Make sure to use the "Style" feature to format the headings as "Heading 1", "Heading 2", and "Heading 3" as appropriate. Also, if possible, use the "Outline View" mode available in most modern word processors. This can help you visualize the whole paper in a single screen. This can normally be done in half an hour.

Creating the content [ edit | edit source ]

Once you have the outline, start filling each heading with the corresponding information. If you need information sources, try to find them before and have them on hand. Set yourself a time frame to have a very rough draft. Normally two to four hours should be enough from start to finish.

Under each heading you should have an introductory paragraph, introducing the issue that is going to be developed. This paragraph should be quite general. Each subsequent paragraph in the section must deal with a single idea. State this idea in the first one or two sentences, then provide details, an example, or a quote. Follow each quote with a simple opinion.

Things to have in mind:

• Stay on topic, and try to fill the requirements of the paper. That's the objective, nothing more, nothing less.
• Be objective, avoid controversial opinions unless you have very strong arguments to support your opinion.
• Write your statements with confidence. Attitude is half of the game.

Wrapping up the paper [ edit | edit source ]

After you have finished your paper, go back to the top. Some readers might have noticed that one of the most important parts of a paper was neglected: the thesis statement. Normally this is written first. However, that's under the assumption that you have a clear idea of what you are writing, and where you want to get to. This assumption is not valid in the context of the book. Rather, the focus is that you don't have a clear idea about what you are writing. However, while writing the paper you will get to know what you are writing about. By the end you should know where you got to: that should be your thesis statement. Of course, make sure it looks like it was made before writing the paper.

Final details [ edit | edit source ]

Make sure that you include a few details to make your paper look more polished:

• A table of contents: Remember that it was suggested to use the "Heading" styles available in your word processor? They will come in handy to create a nice looking table of contents in less than a minute. Every modern word processor will make it for you.
• Page numbers: You have table of contents, add the page numbers to go along. Again, use you word processor feature to make the page number.
• Sources cited: There's a very thin line between research and plagiarism. And this line can be described as citing your sources. Make sure you do it, even if it seems obvious.
• Course name
• Assignment name
• An ID number should it be required
• Name of the professor
• Name of the institution

• Book:How to Pass a Course

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Grade Calculator

Our Grade Calculator can help you determine what you need to get on your final exam to achieve the final grade you would like for a given course.

Do you know your Current Grade?

Fill in your assignment grades on the right to automatically calculate your Current Grade

Grade Needed on Final Exam

Please make sure all text fields are filled out.

Minimum Attainable Course Grade: 0%

Maximum Attainable Course Grade: 100%

Enter your assignment scores here to automatically calculate your current grade (e.g. midterms, homework, tests, labs, etc.)

Important Notes

You can use our grade calculator to calculate the final exam grade you will need to achieve the overall course grade you desire. Our calculator requires you to enter the current percentage grade you have currently obtained for that course together with the weight of the final exam as a percentage value. However, if you do not know what your current grade is, for the question "Do you know your Current Grade?" select the answer "no." Enter the grades you have received for all of your assignments, homework, test, labs, and anything else that contributes to your final grade, as well as the weight of each grade. Our grade calculator will automatically calculate not only your current grade but the grade you need to achieve on your final exam to achieve the overall course grade you desire. In addition, both the minimum and maximum course overall grades will be provided.

Once you have entered the information required, the system will generate both a table and a chart that show the different final exam grades you may obtain as well as the overall course grades that go with them.

Inputting Data in our Grade Calculator

When entering your current grade and the weight of your final exam, our calculator will assume that your current grade has been based on the weight of the course prior to your final exam and calculates it as the input weight subtracted from 100%. If your current grade hasn't taken your coursework into account, the generated results will not be accurate.

Similar to the above, if you don't know what your current grade is and you enter both the coursework grades and the associated weights into the calculator, the calculator will automatically calculate your current grade and the weight of the final exam. In this situation, the weight of your final exam is calculated by taking the sum of the weight of your course work subtracted from 100%. With that in mind, if you enter too many or not enough assignments, the weight of the final exam that is calculated will most likely not match the actual weight of the final exam in your chosen course.

You may also be interested in our Flesch Kincaid Calculator

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5 tips on writing better university assignments

Lecturer in Student Learning and Communication Development, University of Sydney

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Alexandra Garcia does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

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University life comes with its share of challenges. One of these is writing longer assignments that require higher information, communication and critical thinking skills than what you might have been used to in high school. Here are five tips to help you get ahead.

1. Use all available sources of information

Beyond instructions and deadlines, lecturers make available an increasing number of resources. But students often overlook these.

For example, to understand how your assignment will be graded, you can examine the rubric . This is a chart indicating what you need to do to obtain a high distinction, a credit or a pass, as well as the course objectives – also known as “learning outcomes”.

Other resources include lecture recordings, reading lists, sample assignments and discussion boards. All this information is usually put together in an online platform called a learning management system (LMS). Examples include Blackboard , Moodle , Canvas and iLearn . Research shows students who use their LMS more frequently tend to obtain higher final grades.

If after scrolling through your LMS you still have questions about your assignment, you can check your lecturer’s consultation hours.

2. Take referencing seriously

Plagiarism – using somebody else’s words or ideas without attribution – is a serious offence at university. It is a form of cheating.

In many cases, though, students are unaware they have cheated. They are simply not familiar with referencing styles – such as APA , Harvard , Vancouver , Chicago , etc – or lack the skills to put the information from their sources into their own words.

To avoid making this mistake, you may approach your university’s library, which is likely to offer face-to-face workshops or online resources on referencing. Academic support units may also help with paraphrasing.

You can also use referencing management software, such as EndNote or Mendeley . You can then store your sources, retrieve citations and create reference lists with only a few clicks. For undergraduate students, Zotero has been recommended as it seems to be more user-friendly.

Using this kind of software will certainly save you time searching for and formatting references. However, you still need to become familiar with the citation style in your discipline and revise the formatting accordingly.

3. Plan before you write

If you were to build a house, you wouldn’t start by laying bricks at random. You’d start with a blueprint. Likewise, writing an academic paper requires careful planning: you need to decide the number of sections, their organisation, and the information and sources you will include in each.

Research shows students who prepare detailed outlines produce higher-quality texts. Planning will not only help you get better grades, but will also reduce the time you spend staring blankly at the screen thinking about what to write next.

During the planning stage, using programs like OneNote from Microsoft Office or Outline for Mac can make the task easier as they allow you to organise information in tabs. These bits of information can be easily rearranged for later drafting. Navigating through the tabs is also easier than scrolling through a long Word file.

4. Choose the right words

Which of these sentences is more appropriate for an assignment?

a. “This paper talks about why the planet is getting hotter”, or b. “This paper examines the causes of climate change”.

The written language used at university is more formal and technical than the language you normally use in social media or while chatting with your friends. Academic words tend to be longer and their meaning is also more precise. “Climate change” implies more than just the planet “getting hotter”.

To find the right words, you can use SkELL , which shows you the words that appear more frequently, with your search entry categorised grammatically. For example, if you enter “paper”, it will tell you it is often the subject of verbs such as “present”, “describe”, “examine” and “discuss”.

Another option is the Writefull app, which does a similar job without having to use an online browser.

5. Edit and proofread

If you’re typing the last paragraph of the assignment ten minutes before the deadline, you will be missing a very important step in the writing process: editing and proofreading your text. A 2018 study found a group of university students did significantly better in a test after incorporating the process of planning, drafting and editing in their writing.

You probably already know to check the spelling of a word if it appears underlined in red. You may even use a grammar checker such as Grammarly . However, no software to date can detect every error and it is not uncommon to be given inaccurate suggestions.

So, in addition to your choice of proofreader, you need to improve and expand your grammar knowledge. Check with the academic support services at your university if they offer any relevant courses.

Written communication is a skill that requires effort and dedication. That’s why universities are investing in support services – face-to-face workshops, individual consultations, and online courses – to help students in this process. You can also take advantage of a wide range of web-based resources such as spell checkers, vocabulary tools and referencing software – many of them free.

Improving your written communication will help you succeed at university and beyond.

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• Grade Calculators

Weighted Grade Calculator

Assignments

Assignment 1

Assignment 2

Assignment 3

Assignment 4

Assignment 5

Assignment 6

Assignment 7

Assignment 8

Assignment 9

Assignment 10

Your Grade Average:

To determine what grade you need to get on your remaining assignments (or on your final exam), enter the total weight of all of your class assignments (often the total weight is 100). Then enter the desired grade you would like to get in the class.

Enter Desired Grade

Enter Class Total Weight

Instructions

You can use the calculator above to calculate your weighted grade average. For each assignment, enter the grade you received and the weight of the assignment. If you have more than 10 assignments, use the "Add Row" button to add additional input fields. Once you have entered your data, press the "calculate" button and you will see the calculated average grade in the results area.

If you want to calculate the average grade you need on your remaining assignments (or on your final exam) in order to get a certain grade in the class, enter the desired grade you would like to get in the class. Then enter the total weight of all your class assignments. Often the total weight of all class assignments is equal to 100, but this is not always the case. Press either the “Calculate” button or the “Update” button and you will see your average grade for the class and the results will be displayed in the results area.

Video Instructions

How to calculate weighted grade average?

• First multiple the grade received by the weight of the assignment. Repeat this for each completed assignment.
• Then add each of the calculated values from step 1 together.
• Next add the weight of all the completed assignments together.
• Finally, divide the calculated value from step 2 above by the value calculated from step 3. This gives you the weighted grade average.

Weighted Grade Formula

Weighted Grade = (w 1 x g 1 + w 2 x g 2 + w 3 x g 3 + …) / (w 1 + w 2 + w 3 + …)

Example Calculation

Here is an example. Let's say you received a 90% on your first assignment and it was worth 10% of the class grade. Then let's assume you took a test and received an 80% on it. The test was worth 20% of your grade.

To calculate your average grade, follow these steps:

• Multiple each grade by its weight. In this example, you received a 90% on the first assignment and it was worth 10%. So multiply 90 x 10 = 900. You also received an 80% on the test and it was worth 20% of the class grade. So multiply 80 x 20 = 1600.
• Add the calculated values from step 1 together. We now have 900 + 1600 = 2500.
• Add the weight of all the completed assignments together. To do this, add 10% for the first assignment and 20% for the second assignment. That gives us 10 + 20 = 30.
• Finally, divide the value from step 2 by the value from step 3. That gives us 2500 / 30 = 83.33. Therefore our weighted grade average is 83.33%.

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Final Grade Calculator

Grade calculator.

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Final Exam Calculator

What's next.

Now that you've calculated your grades, take a moment to plan your study strategy. Consider focusing on areas where you need improvement, seeking additional resources, or consulting with your instructors for guidance.

Remember, your hard work and dedication will pay off! Good luck!

How to Use a Final Grade Calculator

Example Overview: In this example, we’ll figure out the final exam grade needed to get the class grade you want. We have two scenarios.

Scenario 1:

• Your Current Grade: 70% (or C-)
• Final Exam Weight: 50%
• Desired Class Grade: 80% (or B-)

Calculation:

• Subtract 100% minus the final exam weight (wfinal) times your current grade (g).
• Divide the result by the final exam weight (w).

Result: For a class grade of 80%, you need a final exam grade of 90% (or A-).

Scenario 2: Now, let’s consider a more complex scenario with assignments:

• Assignment 1: Weight=50%, Grade=16 out of 20.
• Assignment 2: Weight=30%, Max Grade=30.
• Assignment 3: Weight=20%, Max Grade=40.
• Desired Class Grade: 85%
• Calculate your current grade.
• Determine the final exam weight (w).
• Find the final exam grade needed to achieve the desired class grade.

Result: You need an average grade of 90% on assignments 2 and 3 to get a class grade of 85%.

Assignment Breakdown:

• Assignment 2 Grade: 27 (out of 30)
• Assignment 3 Grade: 36 (out of 40)

Are you constantly wondering, “What is my final grade?” or “What grade do I need to get on my final exam to pass?” Well, we have the solution for you – the  Final Grade Calculator ! This powered tool helps students calculate their grades with ease and accuracy. In this article, we will explore the intricacies of calculating your final grade using various methods. You will learn about final grade calculators, weighted grade calculators, and more.

What is my Final Grade?

Your final grade is the culmination of all your hard work throughout the academic term. It is a combination of classwork, projects, quizzes, and exams that give a comprehensive overview of your performance in a course. Understanding your current standing and what you need to do to achieve your desired outcome is essential for success.

What Grade Do I Need to Get on My Final Exam to Pass?

To figure out what grade you need on your final exam to pass the course, you must take into consideration all the components that contribute to your overall class score. Before diving into any calculations, it’s crucial to know the weight assigned to each assessment in the course syllabus or through consultation with your instructor.

Let’s explore how a simple Final Exam Calculator works and how it can help you quickly assess the required minimum grade on your upcoming exam:

1. Gather information: Obtain details about your current grades and weights from various components like quizzes, assignments, and prior exams. 2. Input data: Enter these values into the final grade calculator. 3. Set goals: Determine what overall percentage or letter grade you wish to achieve in the course. 4. Calculate: The calculator will determine what minimum score you need on your final exam (in percentage) to satisfy your goal.

How to Calculate Grade Percentage

Calculating your grade percentage is relatively simple once you know the total points earned and the maximum possible points for each assessment/component within the course:

1. Determine points earned: Acquire or sum up your total points obtained for all components assessed. 2. Determine total possible points: Add up the maximum possible points for each component/assessment. 3. Calculate percentage: Divide the total obtained points by total possible points and multiply by 100: (Points Earned / Total Possible Points) * 100

Now you have your overall grade percentage for the course.

The Weighted Grade Calculator – A Detailed Approach

Weighted grade calculations are essential when assessments have varying degrees of importance in determining the final grade. Moving beyond a simplistic final exam calculator, a weighted grade calculator takes into account the contributions each component has to your final grade.

To use a weighted grade calculator:

1. Know your weights: Ensure you are aware of the weight associated with each component of your course. 2. Calculate each component’s contribution: Multiply each assessment’s percentage score by its corresponding weight. 3. Sum up: Add these values together to obtain your overall weighted grade percentage.

How to Calculate Your Class Grade

Your class grade includes averages from assignments, exams, quizzes, participation, and other items like projects and presentations that contribute to your final score.

1. Obtain information: Collect data on scores and weights of different graded components assessed. 2. Use a weighted grade calculator OR put values into simple percentages and take an average (in the absence of any specific weights). 3. Analyze results: Compare your calculated class grade with institutional passing standards or personal goals.

If you’ve ever been in the heat of a school semester, anxiously trying to figure out what you need on final exams to reach your desired grade, you know that a reliable and accurate final grade calculator is essential. In this article, we will introduce our top-notch Final Exam Calculator, discuss its features including the grade calculator, final exam calculator, and weighted grade calculator components, and explain how these tools will assist you in determining your academic success.

Final Grade Calculator – Your Key to Academic Success

Our user-friendly calculator allows students to thoroughly analyze their current progress and performance in a particular course. With just a few inputs, our calculator helps predict future outcomes, considering different scenarios of exam performance. This powerful tool helps students plan and prepare effectively for finals, providing a sense of security in knowing what grades need to be achieved.

Stress-free Exam Preparation with the Grade Calculator

The first step is understanding how your scores add up in the grade calculator. Our comprehensive calculator allows you to enter various types of assignments, like quizzes, projects, midterms, and finals. By inserting weight percentages for each assignment type and your actual scores, our calculator provides an easy-to-understand overview of your ongoing course performance.

Predict Your Required Grade- The Final Exam Calculator

Who hasn’t panicked over final exams? With our final exam calculator integrated into the Final Grade Calculator platform, you can now estimate the minimum score required on your exam to attain your desired overall course grade. Simply input your current grades and desired result – our highly-effective system will crunch those numbers and provide clarity on what kind of performance is needed to achieve academic success.

Navigating Different Course Structures – The Weighted Grade Calculator

Not all courses weigh assignments or grading components equally. With our versatile weighted grade calculator, you can get an accurate calculation of your likely final grade, even as different subjects vary in their grading structure. Our weighted grade calculator adopts a flexible framework, allowing the incorporation of various assignment weightings to provide an individualized prediction.

Our Final Grade Calculator is the ultimate tool to optimize your academic planning and preparation. Including grade calculator, final exam calculator, and weighted grade calculator features, this powerful assistant allows you to gain a thorough understanding of your current standing in a course and what needs to be done in order to reach academic success. Say goodbye to guesswork and reduce anxiety over finals as you maximize your efforts with our one-stop-resource tailored for students’ unique needs.

The Final Grade Calculator is a powerful online tool designed to predict your semester grades by allowing you to input assignment scores, exams, and assessments. It offers instant and accurate final grade estimates, eliminating the need for manual calculations.

Using the calculator is simple! Input your scores for assignments, quizzes, and exams into the respective fields. The calculator will automatically process the data, providing you with real-time updates on your final grade.

The Final Grade Calculator strives for accuracy by incorporating all relevant assessments. While it provides a reliable estimate, it’s essential to remember that actual final grades may vary based on additional factors.

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Easily distribute, analyze, and grade student work with Assignments for your LMS

Assignments is an application for your learning management system (LMS). It helps educators save time grading and guides students to turn in their best work with originality reports — all through the collaborative power of Google Workspace for Education.

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Simplify assignment management with user-friendly Google Workspace productivity tools

Built with the latest Learning Tools Interoperability (LTI) standards for robust security and easy installation in your LMS

Save time distributing and grading classwork

Distribute personalized copies of Google Drive templates and worksheets to students

Grade consistently and transparently with rubrics integrated into student work

Add rich feedback faster using the customizable comment bank

Examine student work to ensure authenticity

Compare student work against hundreds of billions of web pages and over 40 million books with originality reports

Make student-to-student comparisons on your domain-owned repository of past submissions when you sign up for the Teaching and Learning Upgrade or Google Workspace for Education Plus

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The Essential Guide to Take-home Coding Challenges

by Jane Philipps

Introduction

Hi, I’m Jane. I wrote this guide because I want to help others with non-traditional backgrounds succeed on take-home coding challenges. Please read it, take notes, apply the material, and let me know about your results. You can reach me via email at [email protected] .

This guide is intended for anyone who has received a take-home coding challenge as part of the technical interview process and wants to attack it in the best way. This Essential Guide is a distilled version of a longer Ultimate Guide to Take-home Coding Challenges , which goes into much more detail and walks through an example challenge from start to finish.

So, if you’ve just received a challenge and are anxious to get started, start here, and then check out the full guide when you want to learn the material more deeply. Good luck!

Mistakes to avoid making when working on a take-home coding challenge

There are several mistakes you can make with take-home challenges. Some of these are small mistakes that are easily correctable, while others will leave you frustrated and unable to finish your assignment. I want to address these mistakes first, so when you’re given a take-home challenge, you know exactly what not to do.

Here are four mistakes you can make:

1. Time management and scope creep

2. Trying to learn too many new things at once

3. Making too many assumptions

4. Starting to code right away

Let’s look at each one in detail.

Time estimation is one of the hardest problems in programming, and even experienced engineers struggle with it. This plays into take-home challenges in a couple of ways.

First, some challenges come with “estimated time.” I usually ignore these, as they are rarely based in reality. Second, some challenges are open-ended. Many people, especially newer developers, will want to add tons of features because they think it will be impressive. Actually, it’s more impressive if you keep the scope relatively narrow, but finish everything you set out to do. In this situation, it’s better to do one thing really well than to do a million things poorly.

A good question would be: what counts as “going above and beyond” versus what counts as “scope creep?” My rule of thumb would be if your idea accomplishes or improves on the requirements of the assignment, that is likely a good idea, but if it seems tangentially related or “just cool,” it’s probably scope creep. But, as I describe later, always make it work first.

While a take-home coding challenge can be an excellent opportunity for learning, it is possible to take on too much learning. If you’re given a challenge where you must use a specific language or framework, but you’re not familiar with it, don’t add additional complexity by setting out to learn something new on top of that. For example, if you are using a new backend framework for a full stack app, stick to a frontend framework that you’re already comfortable with.

If your challenge is language/framework agnostic, but you’ve been itching to try out some new technology, pick JUST ONE to experiment with. Between reading the docs, getting your challenge properly set up, and getting used to any new syntax, you will have your hands full. Even learning one thing will eat up a lot of your time, so I would highly suggest limiting yourself to one new piece of technology per challenge.

As a developer, if you make too many assumptions, you are bound to build an application where the requirements are off, or the user experience is bad. When given a set of requirements for a take-home challenge, ALWAYS take the time to review the requirements and make sure you fully understand them. And, if you have any questions at all, always ask.

First, this shows that you are willing to ask for help when you don’t quite understand something, an important trait for a developer to demonstrate. Second, many companies will intentionally give you product requirements that are vague or not fully fleshed out in order to see how you react in these situations. They are actually testing your ability to make sense of requirements that may have gaps in them.

So, when in doubt, ask questions. Asking questions is also a signal that you are engaged and interested in the challenge.

One last mistake you can make is to jump in and start coding right away. I guarantee if you do this, you will regret it. Why? Two reasons:

Without proper planning, your code will suffer

Without first getting organized and making sure you fully understand ALL of the technical requirements, you may find yourself missing edge cases or rewriting parts of the functionality. I know it seems counter-intuitive, but you will actually SAVE yourself time if you plan ahead.

You will spin your wheels trying to get your app set up properly

Especially for newer developers, initial app setup can be one of the hardest parts of a take-home coding challenge. It’s not something you do every day, so it often takes some research and reading documentation to get reacquainted with the process and ensure you’re going about it in the best way.

So, there you have it — a summary of mistakes to avoid making. You’ll find that a lot of these are also applicable to your day to day work as a developer. In the next section, we’ll dive into further detail on how to get organized before you write a single line of code.

Get organized: how to plan before you write a line of code

Now it’s time to get to work! But, it’s NOT time to write any code YET.

Because, as you’ll see, a lot of the work actually happens before you write a single line of code. This may seem counterintuitive, but again — the more time you spend up front planning, the less time you will spend writing code.

So, now you have your coding challenge in hand and you are ready to get started with the planning process. Here are my six suggested steps:

1. Understand the requirements and ask any questions

2. Identify technical decisions you need to make

3. Technical design & whiteboarding

4. Test plan

5. App setup plan

6. Organize your tasks

First, you need to make sure you completely, absolutely, 100% understand the requirements of the project. If any part of the requirements are unclear, it is up to you to reach out to your contact and ask questions.

Sometimes companies will purposefully make their requirements vague, in order to see how you approach the problem. In these cases, it is always best to ask questions as it shows you are thinking about the problem and not just making assumptions and building an app to a vague spec.

Your next step will be to identify the technical decisions that you need to make. Making a list of all of your technical decisions up front and thinking about them before you’re in the middle of building your app will help you immensely. Not only will it cut down on time figuring things out later, but it will allow you to make big picture decisions up front, as opposed to trying to focus on both the big picture and the small details at the same time.

Now it’s time to plan out the rest of your app. For anything that you need to draw out, now is the perfect time to do that. Thinking through these decisions at the start serves two purposes:

• You’ll be able to reference these drawings and your original plan while you’re building your app. Then if you get stuck at any point, you can always come back to your notes.
• Later, when you are having a discussion with an engineer about your coding challenge, you can use these notes as a reference when they ask you why you made certain design or architecture decisions.

Once you’ve thought through and answered some of the bigger design and architecture questions for your challenge, the next step is research. If you’re planning to use a new technology or something you’re a bit rusty with, use this time to search for documentation and other resources.

Another very important step to take before writing a line of code is developing a test plan. Although you won’t get peer feedback on this test plan, it will help you look at the challenge from a different angle, making sure you’re meeting all of the requirements. By thinking through and writing out a test plan before you start coding, you are able to brainstorm possible edge cases that you should account for in your code and you will use this as a basis for testing your app later.

If you’re starting an app from scratch, figure out if there are any generators you can use to make your app setup easier and faster. Application setup is one of the hardest parts of take-home coding challenges, because it’s something that developers do rather infrequently. Best practices are always changing, so it’s easy to forget how to do. Also, when setting up an app with a specific combination of technologies for the first time, it can be challenging to get everything configured and working together properly.

If you are not using a generator, reading documentation and finding working examples are the two most important steps you can take. Being able to play with a working example and compare it to your own app will help you if you get stuck.

The last step before you start coding is to break down and organize your tasks. Breaking down your tasks is essential because it will help you stay on track as you’re working on your challenge, and it will give you a game plan for execution. Note that you shouldn’t be a perfectionist here, because there will always be unexpected bumps in the road.

Here is an example task list for a classic Tic Tac Toe app:

Some of these tasks can be broken down even further into smaller steps. For example, in order to implement the Tic Tac Toe gameplay with Javascript, here are some smaller tasks:

3. Writing tests: just do it!

Testing can be overwhelming, because there are so many different types of tests: acceptance tests, integration tests, and unit tests, not to mention test driven development vs. ad hoc testing.

Why should you include tests in your take-home coding challenge? It’s simple: your tests will make your submission shine.

First, adding tests shows that you know or are willing to learn another technology/framework. It also demonstrates that you take ownership of what you’re building, because you are taking responsibility to make sure it works. Testing also shows that you’ve considered edge cases, which many newer engineers often overlook.

Many companies take tests very seriously. Some will not tell you that they expect tests for your coding challenge, but will automatically reject you if you leave them out. Therefore, my recommendation is to write tests no matter what when given a take-home challenge. Not only will it make you a better developer, but for companies that were not expecting tests, you will stand out even more!

How do you go about writing a tests? First, create a plan. Here’s my 80/20 suggestion for how to come up with the right test cases:

1. Test the happy path

For the classic Tic Tac Toe example, the happy path is starting with an empty board and playing a game until X wins.

2. Think about variations on the happy path

A variation on the happy path would be if O wins, or if there is a tie game.

3. Think of edge cases

An edge case would be if a player tries to play a move in the same square more than once.

4. Test anything that is complex

The algorithm to find the winner is the most complex part of this example.

Here’s a sample test plan:

So, now it’s your turn. Think about your app and, as a baseline, think of 5–10 tests that you can write.

4. Make it work, then make it pretty, then make it fast

The title of this section sums it up pretty well, but when you’re working on building out your challenge, you should follow these 3 steps IN THIS ORDER:

1. Make it work

2. Make it pretty

3. Make it fast

When you’re given a take-home coding challenge, no matter what you do, the most crucial part of the challenge is to make it work. If you submit an app that has a nice UI, that will not matter if your app does not work or meet all of the requirements. Because building features to spec is a key aspect of your future job as a developer, you first and foremost need to focus on the functionality of your app and prioritize that above all else.

This is also key if you are low on or run out of time. Coding challenges can be a lot of work, especially if you want to go above and beyond to ensure that you make it to the next interview round. But, I can guarantee that you will not make it to the next round if your app doesn’t function properly or is missing some key components.

So, if you’re building a front-end app, this means focusing on making it work first, and styling/UI last. If you are building a back-end or full-stack app, focus on making it work before trying to refactor your code into the most elegant solution, and only then worry about optimization.

Even if you end up without any time to go back and refactor your code or style your UI, having a working app to present is more important. You can always talk to the interviewer about how you would improve your app, and refactoring some of your code might even be part of the next round of interviewing.

Make it pretty has two interpretations here. One is making the code pretty, and the other is making the UI pretty. Making the code pretty can be done in several ways. First, ensure indentation is consistent and your code is readable. Second, if you got something to work in a quick, hacky way, think about how you can refactor it to be a more elegant solution without overcomplicating it.

If you’re doing a front-end or full-stack challenge, you can also make the UI pretty as part of this step. Whether you use a library or write your own custom styles for your app, making the UI look good will show your interviewer that you’re taking the user experience into consideration when building a feature.

For some more front-end-focused challenges, you’ll be given a specific mockup to match. In these cases, making sure you’re detail oriented down to the last pixel is incredibly important. Part of your role may involve translating mockups from designers into user interfaces, so companies want to get a sense of how you approach those types of tasks.

Once you’ve made your app work, made it pretty (in the code, UI, or both), it may be time to make it fast! This is where understanding performance and BigO notation comes in handy.

You should take a look at your code and see if there are any areas where increasing the scale might be an issue. For example, are you using a double for loop somewhere? What if the arrays you’re looping over become super long?

If you think about these kinds of edge cases, you can then come up with plan to improve your code. Taking something that would have been running O(n) and making it O(1) will show that you’re thinking about performance when you’re building things.

How to make your code shine

When given a take-home coding challenge, many people think about how to build an app that works, but stop there. In this section, I’ll go over things an engineer reviewing your code will look for, so you can take your challenge to the next level and make your code shine.

When an engineer is reviewing your code, they will look for several different things. They will likely try to run your app to play around with it and see it working. After that, they will delve into the actual code, looking to see how you organized your app architecture and reading code in individual files.

There are several things you can do to make your code stand out. You want your code to be:

• Easy to follow
• Well organized
• Clean (properly indented, free of syntax errors and unnecessary whitespace)

These are the basics that don’t take much effort outside of mindfulness to get right. Now let’s talk about three of the more involved code style considerations:

1. How to name things

2. How to use comments effectively

3. How to format your code as you write it

Naming is one of the hardest problems in programming. One of the keys to naming things is to make sure you’re naming them in a way that another developer who is unfamiliar with the code can easily jump in and understand.

For functions, think about what exactly the function is doing. Is the function checking whether there is a winner on a row of a Tic Tac Toe board? Then a great name would be checkRow . Is your function handling a click on a square of the Tic Tac Toe board? Then a great name would be handleClick .

One quick tip: if you find yourself losing your flow because you keep stopping to think of the perfect name, split your process into two steps. First, write working code with any names (like foo , bar , and baz ). Then take a second pass through to improve them.

Adding comments can be a great way to capture what you were thinking at the time you wrote a specific piece of code. This can be useful to you, or anyone else who comes across your code in the future and needs to understand it, tweak it, or rewrite it.

Think of comments as adding clarity to your code. But, pay attention, because there is such a thing as too many comments.

Here is where you most likely do not need comments:

• When you declare a variable
• When you declare a function

Don’t do this:

The variable or function name should be enough to explain exactly what it does. If you need a comment to explain it, then you need to give it a better name!

Here are some examples of where comments can be useful:

• Technically tricky lines of code

First, let’s talk about HTML. Markup seems pretty self-explanatory, right? So, why would you need comments? Let’s say you have a really long HTML file with A LOT of <d iv>s. Comments can be a good way to signal which </div> tags close which sections.

In CSS, comments are a good way to divide up your styles if you have a lot of styles in one file. This way, when you come back to the code later and want to make a change, it’s easier to find the styles for that one section you need to update.

Comments in CSS are also very useful whenever you are hard-coding any math or adding an arbitrary number of pixels as margin, padding, and so on. Comments can be useful to explain things like this that are specific to your application.

One of the best uses for comments is when you’ve written code that is technically difficult or just not intuitive. You should always strive for simple, understandable code as much as possible. However, sometimes you will have confusing code — maybe you’ve chained a bunch of methods together or are using a complex regular expression — and it would help to explain what is happening in a comment.

You are almost done learning how to make your code shine! Just one more step.

I’m a STICKLER about formatting when it comes to code. And, it’s not just me. You’ll find that the best engineers also care about well-formatted, clean code. Why? First, it’s much easier to read! Coding can be really challenging, so when code is easier to read, it makes our jobs as developers that much easier. Also, writing clean code sends a message to your interviewers that you take pride in the craft of writing code, and for many teams, this is a big deal.

So, how do you make sure the code style sticklers will approve of your code? There are a few simple tricks you can use as you’re working through your coding challenge to ensure the end result comes out clean and you don’t have to spend time at the end reformatting everything.

• Choose tabs or spaces and be consistent across your entire application (i.e. no 2 spaces in some files, 4 spaces in others)
• Indent your code properly as you go so that it stays readable and isn’t all over the place
• Get rid of trailing whitespace! Whitespace can sometimes wreck havoc, so it’s best to just get rid of it as you write your code.
• Keep your syntax consistent throughout your entire app. If you’re using a linter, this will be easier, but requires setting one up. If you don’t have time to set one up, pay attention. Don’t use ES5 in some places in your app and ES6 in others. Pick one and stick with it!
• Remove unnecessary logging and debug statements when you’re done using them! Unless logging is part of your application, you’ll want to remove any temporary statements you were using while building your app.
• Always leave a newline at the end of every file

That’s it! It’s pretty simple, and once you’re in the habit of doing this, not only will your code be easier for you to read, but it will also be easier for others to read and maintain. Many new developers haven’t been exposed to very much code maintenance, but trust me, when you have to clean up code someone else has written, you will be more thankful if it was neatly organized to start. Pay it forward!

Here’s an example of badly formatted code:

Here’s an example of the same code, but cleanly formatted and MUCH more readable:

How to take your challenge to the next level

Here are 3 ideas for how you can take your coding challenge to the next level:

2. UI/UX design (for front-end or full-stack challenges)

3. Data validation and error handling

Not all coding challenges come with bonuses, but if yours does and your goal is to get a job offer, do them! Why? It’s pretty simple. If you go above and beyond in your coding challenge, it will show that you will go above and beyond once you’re hired at this company. Completing bonus requirements is a high competence trigger for the interviewer.

Some front-end or full-stack challenges will mention UI/UX design as a bonus, but if they don’t, putting in some effort to make the UI look nice and be easy to use will go a long way. You can either go the route of adding your own custom CSS or plugging in a library or two to help make your styling even more painless. If you use a library, just make sure that you understand how it works enough to explain how you’ve used it.

Data validation and error handling are key components in production apps. Adding either one of these (or both!) to your challenge will help make it stand out. Many developers who are new to coding and haven’t worked in a production codebase before don’t have a ton of exposure to either of these, so if you add error handling for edge cases it will show that you thought through a lot of different situations.

How to write an awesome README

You may be done writing code, but you’re not done writing yet — it’s time to write your README.

Why you should include a README

READMEs are incredibly important, both for professional developers and for job seekers working on take-home challenges. Including a README shows that you care about documentation.

Documentation helps spread knowledge across teams and serves as a supplement to your code. Having documentation for your take-home challenge ensures that anyone else (or future you) can jump into your code with a clear understanding of what you’ve built without any guessing games.

Your README is also the KEY to making sure that everyone reviewing your challenge has the most painless experience possible. Finally, your README is a way of proving to your reviewer that you successfully met the requirements of the challenge.

How to write your README

Writing a great README is not hard, and you will stand out a great deal from the other applicants with one. Here are the five sections I’d recommend you include:

1. Installation instructions

2. Discussion of technologies used

3. A section demonstrating that you met the requirements

4. If there are bonuses, a section demonstrating that you met them

5. For algorithms and data structures, time and space complexity

When writing your README, don’t make any assumptions. Write out all of the steps to run your app locally and test them yourself. This includes cloning the repo from Github, running installation commands, and starting up a server. Also, make sure to include versions of software that you are using. This will ensure that the developer reviewing your code has a seamless experience setting up and running your app, and if they do happen to run into any trouble due to versioning, they will have all of the information they need right there in the README.

This section is as simple as it sounds — make a list of all of the technologies you used including frameworks and libraries. If you had to find a library for a specific piece of functionality in your take-home challenge, mention it here and include a link to the docs.

Usually your take-home challenge will come with some sort of requirements spec, so make sure to include a section in your README where you describe the requirements and how you met them. In some cases, you can take the product spec you were given and write a short explanation of how you met each requirement in a list. In other cases, you can simply include a short paragraph explaining how you satisfied the requirements. It’s totally up to you how you do it, just make sure you include it.

Similar to the requirements section above, you’ll want to highlight any bonuses you completed while working on the take-home challenge. If you attempted a bonus, but couldn’t quite get something to work, then the README is also a good place to address that. You can discuss the approach or approaches you tried and what worked or didn’t work.

If you had to write any algorithms or data structures as part of your take-home challenge, it’s helpful to include the space-time complexity of your final algorithm. This can be done in Big O notation.

One final word of advice: write your README in markdown so it looks nice! This will demonstrate that you know (or are willing to learn) another language that will come in handy as a full-time developer.

Here is an example README for a Tic Tac Toe app:

Final steps before you hit send

Now that you’ve written your README, you’re almost ready to hit send! Before you do that, take the time to double check all of your work using the following checklist:

• Re-read the take-home challenge instructions to make sure you didn’t miss any requirements
• Review your app’s code to ensure that it shines
• Run your app’s automated tests and make sure they are all passing
• Test your app manually and make sure everything is working properly
• Test your app installation instructions from your README
• Start an email draft and copy your README into it for convenience
• If requested, make sure to attach a zip file of your code
• Write an email to your contact at the company

Your email can be short and sweet — I always like to highlight something I enjoyed about the challenge or something I learned. Here’s an example:

Note that you should only mention interviewing with other companies or offer deadlines if either is actually the case. I feel you should be honest and candid about your situation and maintain leverage for a potential future compensation negotiation at the same time.

Now, finally, hit send!

I hope this Essential Guide was helpful and you learned something that you can apply to a take-home challenge or in your day-to-day work. If you have any comments, questions, or other feedback, please don’t hesitate to reach out. You can reach me at [email protected] .

Also, if you enjoyed this guide and want to learn more, feel free to sign up for my email list:

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Programming assignments, learner help center dec 5, 2022 • knowledge, article details.

Programming assignments require you to write and run a computer program to solve a problem.

Some programming assignments count toward your final course grade, while others are just for practice.

Sections of a programming assignment

Programming assignments include both assignment instructions and assignment parts.

Assignment instructions:

• Explain the assignment.
• May include a link to a downloadable starter package that includes starter code, detailed guidelines, and other resources.

Assignment parts:

• Are similar to individual questions within a quiz.
• Are each a single coding task.
• Are each worth a certain number of points toward the overall assignment score.
• Can be completed and submitted all at once, or one at a time.

Programming assignment grades

Programming assignments are graded automatically.

Some are graded using a built-in grading algorithm that compares your program's output to a value specified by your instructor. Others are graded using a custom grading algorithm created by your instructor.

If a programming assignment uses built-in grading:

• Your code will run locally on your computer, and the output will be sent to Coursera's servers.
• Your grade will be based on comparison against numeric or regular expression grading logic.
• You'll get your grade a few seconds after submitting.

If a programming assignment uses custom grading:

• Your code will be run on Coursera's servers.
• Your grade will be based on custom logic provided by your instructor.
• You'll get your grade within an hour of submitting.
• You'll need to refresh the page to see your grade.

Submit a programming assignment

To submit a programming assignment:

• Open the assignment page for the assignment you want to submit.
• Read the assignment instructions and download any starter files.
• Finish the coding tasks in your local coding environment. Check the starter files and instructions when you need to.
• If the assignment uses script submission , submit your assignment by running the submission script in your local coding environment and entering the submission token.
• If the assignment uses web submission , upload your files using the instructions on your screen.

Test a programming assignment

Some programming assignments let you test them before you submit them to get feedback on whether they run. You won't get grades or feedback from the instructor until you submit the assignment.

Edit or resubmit a programming assignment

You can resubmit a programming assignment if you don't pass on the first attempt or want to improve your score. You might have to wait a certain amount of time between attempts.

To resubmit a programming assignment, follow the same steps for submitting one. If your assignment uses script submission, you'll need to select the Generate new token option on the assignment page and use the new submission token.

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Exclusive LIVE Community Event: Power Apps Copilot Coffee Chat with Copilot Studio Product Team

We have closed kudos on this post at this time. Thank you to everyone who kudo'ed their RSVP--your invitations are coming soon!  Miss the window to RSVP? Don't worry--you can catch the recording of the meeting this week in the Community.  Details coming soon!   *****   It's time for the SECOND Power Apps Copilot Coffee Chat featuring the Copilot Studio product team, which will be held LIVE on April 3, 2024 at 9:30 AM Pacific Daylight Time (PDT).     This is an incredible opportunity to connect with members of the Copilot Studio product team and ask them anything about Copilot Studio. We'll share our special guests with you shortly--but we want to encourage to mark your calendars now because you will not want to miss the conversation.   This live event will give you the unique opportunity to learn more about Copilot Studio plans, where we’ll focus, and get insight into upcoming features. We’re looking forward to hearing from the community, so bring your questions!   TO GET ACCESS TO THIS EXCLUSIVE AMA: Kudo this post to reserve your spot! Reserve your spot now by kudoing this post.  Reservations will be prioritized on when your kudo for the post comes through, so don't wait! Click that "kudo button" today.   Invitations will be sent on April 2nd.Users posting Kudos after April 2nd. at 9AM PDT may not receive an invitation but will be able to view the session online after conclusion of the event. Give your "kudo" today and mark your calendars for April 3rd, 2024 at 9:30 AM PDT and join us for an engaging and informative session!

Tuesday Tip: Blogging in the Community is a Great Way to Start

TUESDAY TIPS are our way of communicating helpful things we've learned or shared that have helped members of the Community. Whether you're just getting started or you're a seasoned pro, Tuesday Tips will help you know where to go, what to look for, and navigate your way through the ever-growing--and ever-changing--world of the Power Platform Community! We cover basics about the Community, provide a few "insider tips" to make your experience even better, and share best practices gleaned from our most active community members and Super Users.   With so many new Community members joining us each week, we'll also review a few of our "best practices" so you know just "how" the Community works, so make sure to watch the News & Announcements each week for the latest and greatest Tuesday Tips!   This Week's Topic: Blogging in the Community Are you new to our Communities and feel like you may know a few things to share, but you're not quite ready to start answering questions in the forums? A great place to start is the Community blog! Whether you've been using Power Platform for awhile, or you're new to the low-code revolution, the Community blog is a place for anyone who can write, has some great insight to share, and is willing to commit to posting regularly! In other words, we want YOU to join the Community blog.    Why should you consider becoming a blog author? Here are just a few great reasons. 🎉   Learn from Each Other: Our community is like a bustling marketplace of ideas. By sharing your experiences and insights, you contribute to a dynamic ecosystem where makers learn from one another. Your unique perspective matters! Collaborate and Innovate: Imagine a virtual brainstorming session where minds collide, ideas spark, and solutions emerge. That’s what our community blog offers—a platform for collaboration and innovation. Together, we can build something extraordinary. Showcase the Power of Low-Code: You know that feeling when you discover a hidden gem? By writing about your experience with your favorite Power Platform tool, you’re shining a spotlight on its capabilities and real-world applications. It’s like saying, “Hey world, check out this amazing tool!” Earn Trust and Credibility: When you share valuable information, you become a trusted resource. Your fellow community members rely on your tips, tricks, and know-how. It’s like being the go-to friend who always has the best recommendations. Empower Others: By contributing to our community blog, you empower others to level up their skills. Whether it’s a nifty workaround, a time-saving hack, or an aha moment, your words have impact. So grab your keyboard, brew your favorite beverage, and start writing! Your insights matter and your voice counts! With every blog shared in the Community, we all do a better job of tackling complex challenges with gusto. 🚀   Welcome aboard, future blog author! ✍️✏️🌠 Get started blogging across the Power Platform Communities today! Just follow one of the links below to begin your blogging adventure.   Power Apps: https://powerusers.microsoft.com/t5/Power-Apps-Community-Blog/bg-p/PowerAppsBlog Power Automate: https://powerusers.microsoft.com/t5/Power-Automate-Community-Blog/bg-p/MPABlog Copilot Studio: https://powerusers.microsoft.com/t5/Copilot-Studio-Community-Blog/bg-p/PVACommunityBlog Power Pages: https://powerusers.microsoft.com/t5/Power-Pages-Community-Blog/bg-p/mpp_blog   When you follow the link, look for the Message Admins button like this on the page's right rail, and let us know you're interested. We can't wait to connect with you and help you get started. Thanks for being part of our incredible community--and thanks for becoming part of the community blog!