Step-by-Step Guide: How to Calculate Percentage of Marks in Exams

Calculating the exam percentage should be simple and the right method. What lies ahead after the exams is judgment day. The judgment day arrives after the process of calculating the marks. The process of calculation requires students’ efforts to do so in times of confusion, recounting, or during the self-testing process. 

This article provides a quick guide to exam percentages that assist you in determining your score accurately. The information below provides an exam marks percentage formula on how to calculate the total percentage of marks to track your progress in set goals accordingly. The following information also teaches you how to use a percentage calculator for exams to determine your results quickly without mistakes. 

Let’s go through the step-by-step guide to ensure precise calculations every time and details of the best ICSE School in Bangalore.

Why Is Calculating Percentage of Marks Important?

Let’s understand the significance of percentages in academics and assessments and why it matter.

1. Calculation of percentages provides a standardizing measure of student performance. 

2  It tracks and compares the student’s performance or achievements in academics. 

3. It helps the students, educators, and institutions assess the academic progress of each student and make an informal decision regarding admission, scholarship, or career opportunities. 

4. Percentages offer an idea for making evaluations that are transparent and objective, providing a clear numerical representation of performance.

Common Uses of Percentage Calculation

Percentage calculation is a vital tool in both the academic and professional life of an individual, which serves as a benchmark for achievements, ensuring fair evaluation and career progression.

1. Performance Evaluation 

Percentage helps teachers, parents, and students to assess their strengths and weaknesses. By identifying each subject’s performance, students can enhance their performance. 

2. Competitive Exams and Cut-Offs

Various private sector and government exams set cut-off percentages for candidates. These percentages ensure only qualified candidates to proceed the next stage.

3. College Admissions 

A specific percentage for admission is required across various universities and colleges. These institutions offer various courses to the candidates based on their percentage. Many competitive exams or entrance tests have eligibility criteria based on the academic percentages of the individual.

4. Scholarship Eligibility 

Students are required to score above 80% or 90%. To enroll for merit-based scholarships, these scholarships are percentage-based oriented. This aids students with a high percentage to afford quality education with reduced financial burdens.

5. Job Applications

Across various companies, fresh graduates are recruited based on their academic percentage. A minimum percentage is required by many firms as an eligibility to get a job. It makes it imperative for the students to maintain good academic records.

Formula to Calculate Percentage of Marks

A simple formula to calculate percentage is:

Percentage (Obtained Marks / Total Marks) × 100.

This is a simple formula that enables students to determine their academic performance. This is applicable in overall academic assessments like exams or assignments.

Explanation of The Formula

Let’s understand each component of the formula to determine the percentage.

The formula is:

Percentage (Obtained Marks / Total Marks) × 100.

“Obtained Marks” means the marks a student has scored in an exam or a set of exams.

“Total Marks” refers to the maximum possible marks for the subject/test/assessment.

Since a percentage is a fraction out of 100, multiplying by 100 converts the value into a percentage.

Let’s understand this from the following step-by-step process guide and examples.

Step-by-Step Examples to Calculate Percentage

Let’s look at the example to understand how to calculate percentages easily.

Example:

Let’s say that a student appears for an exam where the overall marks of all subjects combined are 600 now the student scores 420 marks so let’s calculate the percentage step-by-step by using the above formula.

Step 1: First, identify the given values

Obtained Marks are 420 and Total Marks are 600.

Step 2: Apply the Formula

Percentage = (420/600) × 100.

Step 3: Now perform the division first.

420/600 = 0.7

Step 4: Now multiply by 100

0.7 × 100 = 70%

Final Answer

Thus, the student’s percentage is 70% which means the performance is exceptional but a little improvement is needed.

Based on the 70%, it becomes clear to the teacher, parents, and students that a little push is required to get high-level performance in academics.

Tips for Accurate Percentage Calculation

A minor mistake may inevitably take place while calculating the percentage of marks. A minor mistake leads to incorrect results affecting admission chances, performance evaluations, or scholarships in the future. The following are simple yet effective tips to get precise percentage calculations and avoid errors.

Double-Check Your Marks

Double-checking prevents unnecessary calculation mistakes before proceeding further. Let’s look at how to ensure accuracy.

• Carefully verify the obtained marks in each subject, without which can lead to misinterpretation and errors.
• Confirm the total marks of the exam whether it is of one subject or comprises of different subjects.
• Sometimes teachers or evaluators may inevitably make small mistakes, so check for the grading errors while totaling the marks.
• Use a systematic approach by writing down all scores before applying the above formula. 

Use Calculators for Large Numbers

Using calculators to deal with large or complex numbers can save time and energy. The manual calculations can become tedious or prone to errors. In this case, calculators enhance the accuracy and efficiency. 

• Use a basic calculator to divide the obtained marks by total marks and later multiply by 100 to get the accurate percentage. 
• Use online percentage calculators available on websites or mobile apps to provide the result instantly. 
• Use spreadsheet tools and programs like Microsoft Excel or Google Sheets to automate the percentage calculations. 
• Cross-check the results if you have calculated manually later with calculators to ensure and confirm accuracy.

Conclusion 

Therefore, by using the exam marks percentage formula, you can calculate the total percentage of marks to determine your performance. Go through the examples to understand the practicality of the calculation process and follow the tips to have accurate percentages. Double-check your marks and use calculators for large numbers to ensure there is no mistake. All the best!

FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)