Grading charts · 5 to 100 questions

Grading Scales by Number of Questions

Pick a test length to see the percent and letter grade for every score, and how many questions you can miss.

A grading scale for a test turns the number of questions right into a percentage and a letter. Choose how many questions your test has below, and open a chart that lists every possible score. All charts use the same standard plus/minus scale: A- starts at 90%, B- at 80%, C- at 70% and D- at 60%. Anything lower is an F.

Key takeaways

The same scale gives different letters depending on test length, because one question is worth a different share of the grade.
On a 10-question test, 9 right is an A-. On a 100-question test, you need 90 right.
Short tests have gaps: some plus and minus grades never occur.
Each chart also shows the plain 10-point A to F letter for schools that skip plus and minus grades.

Choose your test length

How many questions can you miss?

This table shows the number of right answers needed for each letter on the plus/minus scale (A- or better, B- or better and so on), and the most questions you can miss and still earn an A-.

Questions	Percent per question	Right for A- or better	Right for B- or better	Right for C- or better	Right for D- or better (pass)	Most you can miss for an A
5	20	5	4	4	3	0
10	10	9	8	7	6	1
15	6.67	14	12	11	9	1
20	5	18	16	14	12	2
25	4	23	20	18	15	2
30	3.33	27	24	21	18	3
40	2.5	36	32	28	24	4
50	2	45	40	35	30	5
60	1.67	54	48	42	36	6
100	1	90	80	70	60	10

For example, on a 30-question test you need 27 right for an A-, so you can miss 3. On a 50-question test you need 45 right, so you can miss 5. Our guide on how many questions you can miss explains how to work it out for any test.

The plus/minus scale used on every chart

Letter grade	Percentage
A+	97% and above
A	93% and above
A−	90% and above
B+	87% and above
B	83% and above
B−	80% and above
C+	77% and above
C	73% and above
C−	70% and above
D+	67% and above
D	63% and above
D−	60% and above
F	Below 60%

The percentage is questions right ÷ total questions × 100, and it is not rounded before the letter is chosen. Different schools use different cutoffs, so always check your own. Our guide to grading scales explained compares the plus/minus, 10-point and 7-point systems.

Need a different test length?

Enter any number of questions and wrong answers in the Easy Grader and get the percentage and letter instantly.

Open the Easy Grader

Frequently asked questions

What is a grading scale by number of questions?

It is a chart that lists the percentage and letter grade for every possible score on a test with a set number of questions, so you can read a grade without calculating it.

Why does the same scale give different results on different tests?

Each question is worth a different share of the total. On a 5-question test each question is worth 20%, so one mistake drops a full letter or more. On a 100-question test each is worth 1%.

Why are some grades missing on short tests?

With few questions, the percentages jump in big steps, so some bands such as B+ or C+ never contain a whole-number score.

What if my test has a different number of questions?

Use the test grade calculator or the Easy Grader to get the percentage and letter for any number of questions.

What if my school does not use plus and minus grades?

Use the 10-point column on each chart. It shows A for 90% and above, B for 80%, C for 70%, D for 60% and F below that.

Should I round the percentage before choosing the letter?

That depends on your teacher’s policy. These charts use the exact percentage. Read grade rounding for the options.

Grading Scales by Number of Questions (5 to 100)