// one assignment
How much does one grade change your overall average?
What happens if you skip this assignment, bomb a test, or ace a paper? Type in your current grade, the assignment weight, and the score you expect. See exactly how your overall grade moves.
Updated 28 April 2026
Assignment impact calculator
Enter 0 for a missing assignment
New average
77.0%
C+
Change
-11.00%
B+ to C+
Weight after
80%
of total grade determined
The math
new = (current x completedWeight + score x assignmentWeight) / (completedWeight + assignmentWeight)
Impact depends on two things: the gap between this score and your current average, and the assignment's weight. A zero hurts more than any other score because the gap between 0% and your current average is the largest possible.
How much does a zero hurt?
Drop in your overall grade when you receive 0% on an assignment of a given weight. Assumes 70% of total weight has been completed before the assignment.
| Current grade | 5% | 10% | 15% | 20% | 25% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 95% | -6.3% | -11.9% | -16.8% | -21.1% | -25.0% |
| 90% | -6.0% | -11.3% | -15.9% | -20.0% | -23.7% |
| 85% | -5.7% | -10.6% | -15.0% | -18.9% | -22.4% |
| 80% | -5.3% | -10.0% | -14.1% | -17.8% | -21.1% |
| 75% | -5.0% | -9.4% | -13.2% | -16.7% | -19.7% |
| 70% | -4.7% | -8.7% | -12.4% | -15.6% | -18.4% |
Assumes 70% of total grade weight completed before this assignment.
Submit something, even if it is bad
Always submit something. The math is unambiguous: a 40% on a 10% assignment hurts much less than a zero. With an 88% current average and 70% weight completed:
Submit nothing (0%)
77.0%
Drop: -11.0 points
Submit poor work (40%)
82.0%
Drop: -6.0 points
Submit decent work (70%)
85.7%
Drop: -2.3 points
A 40% paper instead of nothing saves you 5 grade points. That is often the difference between B- and C+. Even a half-finished assignment that earns 50 to 60% limits the damage. The only case where not submitting is acceptable is if academic integrity is at stake.
Missing assignment recovery
If you missed an assignment worth X% of your grade, you need to overperform on remaining assignments to compensate. Required Average on Remaining = (Target Grade x Total Weight - Current Points) / Remaining Weight. The more remaining weight, the easier the recovery.
Recovery example
Avg before missed assignment: 88% on 60% weight
Missed: 10% weight, scored 0%
New avg: (88 x 0.60 + 0 x 0.10) / 0.70 = 75.4%
Remaining: 30% (final exam)
For B (83%): final = (83 - 52.8) / 0.30 = 100.7%
For B- (80%): final = (80 - 52.8) / 0.30 = 90.7%
Late penalty calculator
Late penalty calculator
Common late penalty policies
| Policy | How it works | 2 days late on 92% |
|---|---|---|
| 10% per day | Lose 10% of your score each day | 92 x 0.80 = 73.6% |
| One letter grade per day | Drop one full letter (about 10 pts) each day | 92 - 20 = 72% |
| 50% maximum penalty | Score capped at half regardless of lateness | 92 x 0.50 = 46.0% |
| Flat 20% deduction | One-time 20% penalty for any late submission | 92 x 0.80 = 73.6% |
| Grace period + penalty | No penalty for 24 hours, then 10% per day | 92 x 0.90 = 82.8% |