Grading Scale for 20 Questions
Percent and letter grade for every possible score on a 20-question test.
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This chart shows the percent and letter grade for every score on a 20-question test. Each question is worth 5% of the grade, and the letters use the common plus/minus scale: A- starts at 90%, B- at 80%, C- at 70% and D- at 60%. Below 60% is an F. For this test, 18 right earns an A (an A- or better, at least 90%), so you can miss 2 and still get an A.
- A: 18 or more right (A- or better)
- B: 16 or more right (B- or better)
- C: 14 or more right (C- or better)
- D: 12 or more right (D- or better)
- F: 11 or fewer right
At a glance
A 20-question test has 21 possible scores, from 0 to 20. By letter, that is 3 for A, 2 for B, 2 for C, 2 for D and 12 for F. On this test the exact grades B+, C+, D+ never occur, because no whole-number score lands in those bands. The lowest passing score is 12 right (60%, D−).
On a test of this length, each question is worth a noticeable slice of the grade, so one or two mistakes can change the letter.
Examples
- 19 of 20 is 95%, which is an A (A on a 10-point scale).
- 17 of 20 is 85%, which is a B (B on a 10-point scale).
- 14 of 20 is 70%, which is a C− (C on a 10-point scale).
Percentages here are not rounded before the letter is chosen. The letter comes from the exact percentage, so a score such as 93.33% counts as 93.33%, not 93%. If your teacher rounds up, see our grade rounding guide.
Grade a whole class quickly
Enter the number of questions and the wrong answers, and get the percentage and letter right away.
Open the Easy GraderGrading scale for 20 questions: full table
Find the number of questions your student got right in the first column. The 10-point column shows the plain A to F letter if your school does not use plus and minus grades.
| Right | Wrong | Percentage | Plus/minus grade | 10-point grade |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 | 0 | 100% | A+ | A |
| 19 | 1 | 95% | A | A |
| 18 | 2 | 90% | A− | A |
| 17 | 3 | 85% | B | B |
| 16 | 4 | 80% | B− | B |
| 15 | 5 | 75% | C | C |
| 14 | 6 | 70% | C− | C |
| 13 | 7 | 65% | D | D |
| 12 | 8 | 60% | D− | D |
| 11 | 9 | 55% | F | F |
| 10 | 10 | 50% | F | F |
| 9 | 11 | 45% | F | F |
| 8 | 12 | 40% | F | F |
| 7 | 13 | 35% | F | F |
| 6 | 14 | 30% | F | F |
| 5 | 15 | 25% | F | F |
| 4 | 16 | 20% | F | F |
| 3 | 17 | 15% | F | F |
| 2 | 18 | 10% | F | F |
| 1 | 19 | 5% | F | F |
| 0 | 20 | 0% | F | F |
How this chart is calculated
The percentage is then matched to the plus/minus bands: A+ 97 to 100, A 93 to 96.99, A- 90 to 92.99, B+ 87 to 89.99, B 83 to 86.99, B- 80 to 82.99, C+ 77 to 79.99, C 73 to 76.99, C- 70 to 72.99, D+ 67 to 69.99, D 63 to 66.99, D- 60 to 62.99 and F below 60. See grading scales explained for how the 10-point and 7-point scales differ.
If your teacher uses a different scale
Schools set their own cutoffs. Some use a 10-point scale with no plus or minus (the last column above), and some use a 7-point scale where an A starts at 93%. If your cutoffs are different, use the letter grade calculator or the test grade calculator and choose your scale. For half points or partial credit, divide your total points by the points possible.
Frequently asked questions
How many questions can I miss on a 20-question test and still get an A?
You can miss 2 and still earn an A (90%, which is an A- or better). Missing 3 drops the score to 85%, which is a B on the plus/minus scale.
What is a passing grade on a 20-question test?
On this scale the lowest passing grade is a D- at 60%, which takes 12 right. If your school passes at 70% (C-), you need 14 right.
What percent is 17 out of 20?
17 out of 20 is 85%, which is a B on the plus/minus scale and a B on the 10-point scale.
How much is each question worth?
Each question is worth 5% of the total grade. A single mistake costs 5 percentage points.
Is an A+ possible on a 20-question test?
Only a perfect score (20 of 20) earns an A+ on this chart. An A+ needs at least 97%.
Nearby grading scales
- Work backwards from a target in how many questions can I miss.
- Learn the method in how to calculate grades.
- Convert any percentage with the letter grade calculator.