Percentage score
S = C ÷ N × 100
Test score calculator
Calculate the percentage of correct answers on a multiple-choice test, quiz or exam and the number of incorrect answers, from the total number of questions.
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How does this tool work?
You just finished a 50-question multiple-choice test and the answer key shows 42 right: what percentage is that, and how many points did you leave behind? This calculator answers straight away. It expresses your score as a share of the total number of questions and counts the answers that were wrong or left blank. It works for any test where every question is worth the same: online quizzes, driving theory practice sets, vocabulary checks, mock exams or multiple-choice certifications.
Your score is the share of questions you got right: correct answers divided by total questions, multiplied by 100. Incorrect answers cover both wrong responses and skipped questions, because the tool only knows the total and the number of correct answers.
The result is shown with two decimals and is not rounded up: 27 correct out of 40 gives 67.5%, not 68%. If your teacher or testing platform rounds scores, the rounding rule is usually stated in the exam instructions.
Work out your score in three steps
Count your correct answers
Enter the number of questions you answered correctly according to the key; leave out partially correct answers if the rules treat them as wrong.
Enter the number of questions
Use the total actually set, excluding bonus questions if they are not part of the marking scheme.
Read the percentage and the misses
The score appears as a percentage alongside the number of answers to review. The link button keeps your values so you can come back to them later.
Score formulas
The calculation assumes every question carries the same weight and a wrong answer does not cost points.
Incorrect answers
W = N − C
Correct answers needed for a threshold
C min = ⌈ t × N ÷ 100 ⌉
Always round up to the next whole number: there is no such thing as half a correct answer.
- C
- number of correct answers
- N
- total number of questions
- W
- wrong or unanswered questions
- t
- target threshold, in percent
Use cases
Grading a practice exam
After a timed practice session, measure your success rate and compare several attempts on the same basis.
Marking a classroom quiz quickly
A teacher gets each student’s percentage from the number of correct answers, then rescales it with the grade scale converter if needed.
Checking a certification pass mark
Many certifications require a minimum percentage of correct answers: you see at once whether you reach it and by how much you miss it.
Tracking progress in a language
Word lists or verb drills of different lengths become comparable once expressed as percentages.
Examples
50-question multiple-choice test
42 ÷ 50 = 0.84, so 84%. Eight questions were wrong or left blank.
Input
42 correct out of 50Result
84% and 8 incorrect answers40-question quiz
The percentage is not a whole number: 27 ÷ 40 = 0.675.
Input
27 correct out of 40Result
67.5% and 13 incorrect answersAiming for 80% on 35 questions
80 × 35 ÷ 100 = 28. Enter 28 out of 35 to check: the tool shows exactly 80%. With 27 correct you drop to 77.14%.
Input
80% threshold, 35 questionsResult
At least 28 correct answersTips and best practices
- To compare two tests of different lengths, compare percentages rather than raw counts: 18 out of 20 (90%) beats 40 out of 50 (80%).
- If your exam uses negative marking, work out your net points first, enter them as correct answers and keep the maximum points as the total.
- With few questions, each answer weighs heavily: on a 10-question quiz one mistake costs 10 percentage points, against 2 points on a 50-question test.
- To find how many questions you can miss, subtract the minimum number of correct answers from the total: for 70% on 30 questions, you need 21 right, so you can miss 9.
Sources and references
- National Center for Education Statistics, How is Grade Point Average Calculated? (opens in a new tab), U.S. Department of EducationPage in English
Frequently asked questions
How do I calculate the percentage of correct answers?
Divide the number of correct answers by the total number of questions and multiply by 100. For example, 33 correct out of 45 gives 33 ÷ 45 × 100 = 73.33%.
Do unanswered questions count as wrong?
In this calculation, yes: any question that is not a correct answer lowers the score in the same way. The incorrect counter therefore includes both mistakes and blanks.
How do I handle a test with negative marking?
The tool assumes a wrong answer scores zero. If a mistake takes away a point or a fraction of a point, compute your net points, enter them instead of correct answers and use the maximum possible points as the total.
What letter grade is 84%?
On the standard conversion table NCES uses in its transcript studies, 80 to 89 is a B, 90 to 100 an A and below 60 an F. Your school may use its own cut-offs, often with plus and minus grades such as B+ or B−.
How many questions do I need right to score 70%?
Multiply the total by 0.7 and round up. On 30 questions you need 21 correct; on 45 questions, 31.5 becomes 32.
Can I use it when questions carry different marks?
Only if you reason in points: enter the points earned and the maximum points for the test. For several grades with different weights, the weighted grade average calculator is the better fit.
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