Marks and GradesHow many marks do I need?
Whether the target is a pass, 60% for first division or 90% for a cut-off, the sum is the same: find the total you need, take away what you already have.
marks still needed = target % × total maximum ÷ 100 − marks already scored
A target for the whole examination
Example. Five papers of 100 marks each, total 500. Target 85%. Three papers are done with 82, 90 and 77, a total of 249.
- Marks needed in all: 85 × 500 ÷ 100 = 425.
- Still needed: 425 − 249 = 176.
- That is from two papers worth 200, an average of 88 in each.
Is the target still possible?
Compare what you need with what is left. If you need 176 and 200 marks remain, it is possible. If you needed 210 from 200, it would not be, and the honest move is to find the highest target you can still reach: marks scored plus all remaining marks, divided by the total. In the example the best possible result is (249 + 200) ÷ 500 = 89.8%.
Internal marks already known
Many subjects have internal assessment or practical marks that are known before the written paper.
Example. A subject has 20 internal marks and an 80-mark paper. You have 17 internal. For 75% overall you need 75 marks in total, so 75 − 17 = 58 out of 80 in the paper, which is 72.5% of the paper.
Marks needed to pass
Multiply the maximum by the pass percentage. If the answer is not a whole number, you need the next whole mark above it, because 26.4 marks cannot be scored and 26 is below the line.
| Maximum marks | 33% | 35% | 40% |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20 | 6.6 (7) | 7 (7) | 8 (8) |
| 25 | 8.25 (9) | 8.75 (9) | 10 (10) |
| 30 | 9.9 (10) | 10.5 (11) | 12 (12) |
| 40 | 13.2 (14) | 14 (14) | 16 (16) |
| 50 | 16.5 (17) | 17.5 (18) | 20 (20) |
| 60 | 19.8 (20) | 21 (21) | 24 (24) |
| 70 | 23.1 (24) | 24.5 (25) | 28 (28) |
| 75 | 24.75 (25) | 26.25 (27) | 30 (30) |
| 80 | 26.4 (27) | 28 (28) | 32 (32) |
| 100 | 33 (33) | 35 (35) | 40 (40) |
The table shows the exact figure and, in brackets, the whole marks that reach it. Whether a board rounds a fraction, and whether it gives grace marks, is a matter for that board. Do not count on either.
When there are two conditions
Some rules need a minimum in each part as well as overall. The CBSE bye-laws, for class 12 subjects with practical work, require 33% in theory, 33% in practical and 33% in aggregate. Then work out each part separately: a high practical mark cannot make up for a theory mark below the line. See CBSE pass marks.
A target CGPA
The same idea works with credits. To reach a CGPA of 8.0 over 160 credits you need 8.0 × 160 = 1280 credit points. If you have 7.6 over the first 100 credits, that is 760, so you need 520 from the remaining 60 credits, an SGPA average of 8.67. If the answer comes out above 10, the target is out of reach.
Plan with a margin
Aim a few marks above the bare requirement. Papers do not always go to plan, and a target met exactly leaves no room for one bad question.
The marks needed calculator handles all three cases: an overall target, a paper with internal marks, and pass marks for any maximum.
Check with your board or university. The rules quoted on this site were read in the official documents on 12 November 2026. Boards and universities revise them, and yours may differ. For anything that decides an admission or a job, use the rule printed on your own mark sheet or in your institution's regulations. This is an independent site.
Next
Percentage, percentile, GPA and CGPA: the difference All guides