Teachers writing a test and students studying for one both run into the same two questions: how many points should each question be worth, and how many can I afford to get wrong? This calculator answers both, assuming every question on the test carries equal weight.
How the calculator works
The Points/Question tab divides the test's total points by the number of questions: total points ÷ total questions. If you don't specify a total-points value, it assumes a standard one-point-per-question scheme, so the points per question simply equals... one.
The Max Missable tab works backward from a target score. It multiplies the total number of questions by the fraction of the test you're allowed to miss, then rounds down: floor(total questions × (1 − target ÷ 100)). Rounding down is deliberate — rounding up could let a student miss one question too many and fall just short of the target.
Inputs and what they mean
Total questions is the only input shared across all three tabs — enter it once. Total points (Points/Question tab) is optional; leave it blank for a standard one-point-per-question test, or fill it in for a test scored out of a different total (e.g. 100 points on a 40-question exam). Target score (Max Missable tab) is the percentage you need to hit or beat, typically a passing grade or a grade-cutoff like 90% for an A.
Limits and edge cases
This calculator assumes every question is worth exactly the same amount. It will not give an accurate answer for tests with weighted sections, essay questions worth more points than multiple-choice questions, or extra-credit questions — for those, use the Syllabus Weighted Grade Calculator or a dedicated grading-rubric tool instead. It also doesn't model partial credit on free-response questions; every question here is treated as fully correct or fully missed. Finally, the max-missable result always rounds down to guarantee the target — if you need the exact fractional cutoff, use the Score Table tab to see the precise percentage for every possible missed count.