What is your grade if you get 1 out of 6?

Learn the basics of how to calculate percentages of quantities in this easy lesson! To find a percentage of any number, use this generic guideline of TRANSLATION: Change the percentage into a decimal, and the word "of" into multiplication. See many examples below.

The concepts and ideas of this lesson are also explained in this video:


You have learned that to find 1% of a number means finding 1/100 of it. Similarly, finding 60% of a number means finding 60/100 (or 6/10) of it.

In these expressions, the word “of” translates into multiplication:

1% of 90 → 1% × 90&

60% of $700 → 60% × $700.

We can also write those percentages as decimals:

1% of 90 → 0.01 × 90

60% of $700 → 0.6 × $700.

This gives us another way to calculate the percentage of a number (or percentage of some quantity):

To calculate a percentage of some number, change the percentage into a decimal, and the word "of" into multiplication.

Example 1. Find 70% of 80.

Following the shortcut, we write this as 0.7 × 80.

Remember that in decimal multiplication, you multiply as if there were no decimal points, and the answer will have as many “decimal digits” to the right of the decimal point as the total number of decimal digits of all of the factors. So when you multiply 0.7 × 80, think of multiplying 7 × 80 = 560. Since 0.7 has one decimal digit, and 80 has none, the answer has one decimal digit: 56.0 Thus, 0.7 × 80 = 56.

You can also use “common sense” to reason it through logically: 0.7 × 80 must be less than 80, yet more than 1/2 of 80, which is 40. Since 7 × 8 = 56, you know that the answer must be 56—not 5.6 or 560.

Example 2. Find 3% of $4,000.

First write it as 0.03 × $4,000. Then multiply 3 × $4,000 = $12,000. Lastly put the decimal point where it gives the answer two decimal digits: $120.00.

Example 3. Find 23% of 5,500 km.

Write the expression as 0.23 × 5,500 km and use a calculator to calculate the product. The answer is 1,265 km. This answer makes sense because 10% of 5,500 km is 550 km, so 20% is 1,100 km. Thus 1,265 km as 23% of 5,500 km is a reasonable answer.

1. "Translate" the expressions into multiplication by a decimal. Calculate.

a. 20% of 70

______ × ______ = ______

b. 90% of 50

______ × ______ = ______

c. 9% of 3,000

______ × ______ = ______


2. "Translate" the other way: write the multiplications as expressions of "percentage of the number".

a. 0.6 × 50

_____% of ______ = ______

b. 0.03 × $400

_____% of ______ = ______

c. 0.08 × 6

_____% of ______ = ______

What is your grade if you get 1 out of 6?
3. Use a calculator to find percentages of these quantities.

    a. 17% of $4500

    b. 67% of 27 m

4. Use mental math to find percentages of these quantities.

5. a. A lake has a 30-km long shoreline. 6% of it is sandy beach. What percentage of the shoreline is not sandy beach?

6. Twenty percent of a university’s 4,000 students have a scholarship.

    a. What percent of the students do not have a scholarship?

    b. How many students have a scholarship?

8. Identify the errors that Gladys made. Then find the correct answer.

Find 80% of 50.

    Gladys’s solution:
    80 × 50 = 4,000

9. Find the expressions with the same value as 20% of $620.

0.02 × $620 $620 ÷ 5
$620 ÷ 10 × 2 2 × $62
0.2 × $620
20 × $620 $620 ÷ 4

11. The table below shows Andy’s usage of time in one day.

      a. Calculate the time he spent in each activity.
    Round the minutes to the nearest minute.

      b. Label the sections in the circle graph with the name of each activity.
 

Andy’s Usage of Time

What is your grade if you get 1 out of 6?

Activity Percent Minutes Hours/minutes
Sleep 38%    
School 21%    
Soccer 10% 144 2 h 24 min
Play 11%    
Eating 9%    
Chores 9%    
Hygiene 2%    
TOTAL 100% 1440 24 hours

Percent – free lesson

Percentage of a number using mental math – free lesson

How to calculate percentages – free lesson

Basics of percent of change – free lesson

Interactive fraction, decimal and percentage tool This tool shows you a fraction visually (bar or pie) and converts the fraction into a percentage and decimal. You can show or hide the equivalent percentage and decimal.

/interactives/fraction_decimal_percentage.php


This lesson is taken from Maria Miller's book Math Mammoth Percent, and posted at www.HomeschoolMath.net with permission from the author. Copyright © Maria Miller.


If you're seeing this message, it means we're having trouble loading external resources on our website.

If you're behind a web filter, please make sure that the domains *.kastatic.org and *.kasandbox.org are unblocked.

  1. 1

    Count your correct answers. Figure out how many questions you answered correctly and write this number down. Then, draw a line under this number so that it is the top number of a fraction. For example, if you had 21 correct answers, write down 21/. Do not write anything under the fraction yet.

    • For long tests, it might be easier to subtract the number of questions you got wrong from the total number of questions on the test. For example, if you got 5 questions wrong on a 26-question test, subtract 5 from 26 (26 - 5 = 21). Then, use 21 as the top number in your fraction.
    • If some questions are worth more points than others, use the total number of points you earned as your top number instead. For example, if you earned 53 points out of 70 points possible, then write 53 as your top number.

  2. 2

    Write the total number of questions or points on the bottom of the fraction. Finish the fraction with the total number of questions or points on the test. In our example, if the test had 26 questions, then your fraction would be 21/26.

    • Check your fraction to make sure that it is set up correctly. Remember that the number of questions you got right or the number of points you earned should be on the top of the fraction. The total number of questions on the test or the total number of points possible should be at the bottom of the fraction.

  3. 3

    Use a calculator to divide the top number by the bottom number. You can use a basic calculator to figure out your percentage grade on the test. Just divide the top number by the bottom number. For example, take 21/26 and plug it into the calculator as 21 ÷ 26. You should get the answer 0.8077.[1] X Research source Go to source

    • Don’t worry about the numbers past the first four digits of the answer. For example, if the answer was 0.8077777, then you can just ignore the last three sevens. They will not affect your percentage.

  4. 4

    Multiply your answer by 100 to get your percentage. You can do this with your calculator or just move the decimal point two digits to the right. The answer will be your grade as a percentage (your score out of 100). In our example, 0.8077 x 100 = 80.77. This means your test grade is 80.77%.[2] X Research source Go to source

    • Depending on your teacher’s grading scale, 80.77% would be a B or a B-.

  1. 1

    Check your course materials for a grade range. Grade ranges vary among professors and teachers. If your professor or teacher provided a syllabus at the beginning of the year, it may list the grade range. Your school handbook may have this information as well. If you cannot find a range on any of your materials, ask your professor or teacher.

  2. 2

    Know the typical grading range in the United States. Although there are variations, this is the most common grading range for schools and universities in the USA. A "B" or higher is typically considered a "good" grade. A D is the lowest passing grade, but it may not fulfill requirements for further courses or college applications.[3] X Research source Go to source

    • An "A" is 90% to 100%. A grade of 100% is an "A+".A grade of 94%-99% would be considered an "A." A grade of 90%-93% would be considered an "A-."
    • A "B" is 80% to 89%. A grade of 87% or higher would be considered a "B+." A grade of 83%-86% would be considered a "B." A grade of 80%-82% would be considered a "B-."
    • A "C" is 70% to 79%. A grade of 77% or higher would be considered a "C+." A grade of 73%-76% would be considered a "C." A grade of 70%-72% would be considered a "C-."
    • A "D" is 60% to 69%. A grade of 67% or higher would be considered a "D+." A grade of 63%-66% would be considered a "D." A grade of 60%-62% would be considered a "D-."
    • An "F" is 59% and below. An "F" is a failing grade, so professors and teachers do not usually assign + or – values to "F" grades.[4] X Research source Go to source

  3. 3

    Learn the normal English marking system. The United Kingdom uses several grading scales in primary and secondary school, for tests such as the GCSE and A-levels. These have their own classification terms, but the percentages roughly correspond to the following. This system is also used for undergraduate work in the UK and in India.[5] X Research source Go to source

    • 70% to 100% is the highest grade, a mark of Distinction.
    • 60% to 69% earns a Merit.
    • 50% to 59% is Pass.
    • Some schools Fail at 49% or below, while others fail at 39% or below.

  4. 4

    Familiarize yourself with the Canadian grading system. At a university level, the Canadian grading system is similar to the US system, but there are some differences in percentage range:

    • An "A" is 80% to 100%
    • A "B" is 70% to 79%
    • A "C" is 60% to 69%
    • A "D" is 50% to 59%
    • An "F" is 49% and below

  • Question

    What would my grade be if there are 20 questions and I got 3 wrong?

    Subtract 3 from 20 and divide by 20. You'll get an 85% for your grade. Check above to see what that means in your area; it's definitely a B in the US, but it's also a Distinction in the U.K. and India.

  • Question

    How many wrong answers can I get on a 46 question test and still pass?

    Let's assume you need around a 70% to pass. You would then need to know what 70% of 46 is. Calculate this by converting 70% to the following decimal: 0.7. Then multiply that by 46. The answer is 32.2, which we will round up to 33 to account for the decimal. That is how many questions you need to get right to pass. Subtract 33 from 46 to find how many you can get wrong and still pass. The answer is 13.

  • Question

    If I got 9 wrong out of 50 questions, what would be my score?

    82%, becouse 41 dividing by 50 and multiplying it with 100 will give you 82. This is a B- at most school in the United States.

See more answers

This article was co-authored by wikiHow Staff. Our trained team of editors and researchers validate articles for accuracy and comprehensiveness. wikiHow's Content Management Team carefully monitors the work from our editorial staff to ensure that each article is backed by trusted research and meets our high quality standards. This article has been viewed 2,358,316 times.

Co-authors: 97

Updated: July 14, 2022

Views: 2,358,316

Article Rating: 60% - 158 votes

Categories: Mathematics | Tests and Exams

  • Print
  • Send fan mail to authors

Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 2,358,316 times.