Grading Scale for 40 Questions
On a 40-question test, each question is worth 2.5%, so every wrong answer lowers the score by 2.5 percentage points. That is typical of a chapter test. The chart below shows the percentage and letter grade for every possible score, from 40 right down to 0.
Letter grades on a 40-question test
This summary uses the standard plus/minus scale (A from 93%, A− from 90%, B+ from 87% and so on down to D− at 60%). For a plain scale, an A needs 36 right (miss up to 4), a B allows 8 misses, a C allows 12, and a D allows 16.
| Grade | Right | Wrong | Percentage |
|---|---|---|---|
| A+ | 39–40 | 0–1 | 97.5–100% |
| A | 38 | 2 | 95% |
| A− | 36–37 | 3–4 | 90–92.5% |
| B+ | 35 | 5 | 87.5% |
| B | 34 | 6 | 85% |
| B− | 32–33 | 7–8 | 80–82.5% |
| C+ | 31 | 9 | 77.5% |
| C | 30 | 10 | 75% |
| C− | 28–29 | 11–12 | 70–72.5% |
| D+ | 27 | 13 | 67.5% |
| D | 26 | 14 | 65% |
| D− | 24–25 | 15–16 | 60–62.5% |
| F | 0–23 | 17–40 | 0–57.5% |
Full grade chart for 40 questions
The dashed line marks the pass mark (60%). “+/−” uses the standard plus/minus scale; “Plain” uses A 90, B 80, C 70, D 60.
| Right | Wrong | Percentage | +/− grade | Plain |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 40 | 0 | 100% | A+ | A |
| 39 | 1 | 97.5% | A+ | A |
| 38 | 2 | 95% | A | A |
| 37 | 3 | 92.5% | A− | A |
| 36 | 4 | 90% | A− | A |
| 35 | 5 | 87.5% | B+ | B |
| 34 | 6 | 85% | B | B |
| 33 | 7 | 82.5% | B− | B |
| 32 | 8 | 80% | B− | B |
| 31 | 9 | 77.5% | C+ | C |
| 30 | 10 | 75% | C | C |
| 29 | 11 | 72.5% | C− | C |
| 28 | 12 | 70% | C− | C |
| 27 | 13 | 67.5% | D+ | D |
| 26 | 14 | 65% | D | D |
| 25 | 15 | 62.5% | D− | D |
| 24 | 16 | 60% | D− | D |
| 23 | 17 | 57.5% | F | F |
| 22 | 18 | 55% | F | F |
| 21 | 19 | 52.5% | F | F |
| 20 | 20 | 50% | F | F |
| 19 | 21 | 47.5% | F | F |
| 18 | 22 | 45% | F | F |
| 17 | 23 | 42.5% | F | F |
| 16 | 24 | 40% | F | F |
| 15 | 25 | 37.5% | F | F |
| 14 | 26 | 35% | F | F |
| 13 | 27 | 32.5% | F | F |
| 12 | 28 | 30% | F | F |
| 11 | 29 | 27.5% | F | F |
| 10 | 30 | 25% | F | F |
| 9 | 31 | 22.5% | F | F |
| 8 | 32 | 20% | F | F |
| 7 | 33 | 17.5% | F | F |
| 6 | 34 | 15% | F | F |
| 5 | 35 | 12.5% | F | F |
| 4 | 36 | 10% | F | F |
| 3 | 37 | 7.5% | F | F |
| 2 | 38 | 5% | F | F |
| 1 | 39 | 2.5% | F | F |
| 0 | 40 | 0% | F | F |
Borderline scores to watch
On a 40-question test, 4 scores sit just below a grade cutoff and would move up a letter grade if you round to the nearest whole percent: 37/40 = 92.5%, which rounds up to an A; 33/40 = 82.5%, which rounds up to a B; 29/40 = 72.5%, which rounds up to a C; 25/40 = 62.5%, which rounds up to a D. Decide your rounding rule before grading so these students are treated the same way. The EZ Grader’s Show decimals option shows the exact value.
Compared with a 39-question test, where each miss costs 2.56 points, a miss here costs 2.5 points, so every answer matters a little less.
Questions about 40-question tests
How many questions can you miss on a 40-question test and still pass?
How many can you miss on a 40-question test and get an A?
What percentage is 39 out of 40?
What grade is 30 out of 40?
Grade charts for other test sizes
See every size grouped by quiz, chapter test, midterm and final exam in the grade chart library.