How To Calculate Weighted Totals

A weighted total is a sum of values in which certain values are counted more heavily than others. This type of total is commonly used by teachers when figuring a student's grades. Using a weighted total allows you to place emphasis on assignments that more accurately reflect a student's comprehension of a set of concepts. You can figure a weighted total by performing a few simple calculations.

Step 1

Divide the number of points that a student earned on an assignment by the total possible points for that assignment. For instance, if the student earned 22 out of 25 points on a test, divide 22 by 25 to get 0.88.

Step 2

Multiply the answer by the weight of the assignment. The weight should be in decimal form. For instance, if the assignment counts for 20 percent of the grade, you would divide 20 by 100 to get a decimal value of 0.20. For the example above, multiply 0.20 by 0.88 to get 0.176.

Step 3

Repeat the calculations for other student assignments. Add all of your answers to find the weighted total.