What grade is 6 wrong out of 40?

6 wrong answers leaves 34 correct, which is 85.0%. That is a B on the standard A–F scale and a B on the plus/minus scale.

Can I give partial credit on a 40-question test?

Yes. On a 40-question test, turn on half points in the Quick Grade calculator and a half-credit answer counts as 1.25% instead of 2.5%. The chart on this page uses whole questions only.

40 Questions

40-Question Grading Scale

Each question on a 40-question test is worth 2.5%. On the common 90/80/70/60 scale you can miss up to 4 questions for an A, up to 8 questions for a B, up to 12 questions for a C, up to 16 questions for a D. The chart below shows the percentage and letter grade for every number of wrong answers from 0 to 40.

Custom cutoffs or another test size

Score chart for 40 questions (standard A–F)
Wrong	Correct	Percent	Grade
0	40	100.0%	A
1	39	97.5%	A
2	38	95.0%	A
3	37	92.5%	A
4	36	90.0%	A
5	35	87.5%	B
6	34	85.0%	B
7	33	82.5%	B
8	32	80.0%	B
9	31	77.5%	C
10	30	75.0%	C
11	29	72.5%	C
12	28	70.0%	C
13	27	67.5%	D
14	26	65.0%	D
15	25	62.5%	D
16	24	60.0%	D
17	23	57.5%	F
18	22	55.0%	F
19	21	52.5%	F
20	20	50.0%	F
21	19	47.5%	F
22	18	45.0%	F
23	17	42.5%	F
24	16	40.0%	F
25	15	37.5%	F
26	14	35.0%	F
27	13	32.5%	F
28	12	30.0%	F
29	11	27.5%	F
30	10	25.0%	F
31	9	22.5%	F
32	8	20.0%	F
33	7	17.5%	F
34	6	15.0%	F
35	5	12.5%	F
36	4	10.0%	F
37	3	7.5%	F
38	2	5.0%	F
39	1	2.5%	F
40	0	0.0%	F

How a 40-question test is scored

Divide the number of correct answers by 40 and multiply by 100. With 40 questions worth the same amount, each one is 2.5% of the grade. With 40 questions each answer is worth only 2.5%, so the grade is steadier than on a short quiz. This size is typical for midterms and multi-section exams.

On the common 90/80/70/60 scale you can miss up to 4 questions for an A, up to 8 questions for a B, up to 12 questions for a C, up to 16 questions for a D. Anything below the D line is an F.

Quick reference for 40 questions

These scores come from the same chart you see in the tool above.

0 wrong answers (40 correct) = 100.0%, grade A
1 wrong answer (39 correct) = 97.5%, grade A
2 wrong answers (38 correct) = 95.0%, grade A
3 wrong answers (37 correct) = 92.5%, grade A
4 wrong answers (36 correct) = 90.0%, grade A
8 wrong answers (32 correct) = 80.0%, grade B
12 wrong answers (28 correct) = 70.0%, grade C
16 wrong answers (24 correct) = 60.0%, grade D

Rounding and partial credit on 40 questions

Because 40 does not divide 100 evenly, scores are rounded. For example, 5 wrong is 87.5% exactly and shows as 87.5% rounded to one decimal. The letter is chosen from the rounded value that is displayed.

Half points are possible too: one half-credit answer is worth 1.25%.

Worked example: 5 wrong on a 40-question test

A student misses 5 of 40 questions.

Correct answers: 35 of 40
Percentage: 87.5%
Standard A–F: B
Plus/minus: B+

(40 − 5) ÷ 40 × 100 = 87.5%, so the grade is 87.5% (B).

Grading & Weighting FAQs

Grade Calculator & Scoring FAQs

Clear, mathematically verified answers to common questions about weighted grade averages, grading scales, and final exam target scores.

Each question is worth 100 ÷ 40 = 2.5% when every question has the same weight. Missing one question leaves 97.5%, and each further miss lowers the score by another 2.5 points.

On a 40-question test with the common 90/80/70/60 scale you can miss up to 4 questions for an A. For the other letters you can miss up to 8 questions for a B, up to 12 questions for a C, up to 16 questions for a D. Your teacher’s scale may use different cutoffs, so check the syllabus.

Interactive Tools Available

Test a hypothetical score with our Target Grade Simulator above!