What Grade Is 16 out of 20?
16 out of 20 is 80% — a B- on the standard US scale, a good score.
- Percentage80%
- Letter gradeB-
- Missed4 pts
- For an A (90%)18/20
Score breakdown for a 20-point test
| Score | Percent | Letter |
|---|---|---|
| 18/20 | 90% | A- |
| 16/20 | 80% | B- |
| 14/20 | 70% | C- |
| 16/20 | 80% | B- |
How this is calculated
Divide the points earned by the points possible and multiply by 100: 16 ÷ 20 × 100 = 80%. On the common 10-point-band scale that lands in the B- range — you'd have needed 18/20 to reach the A band.
Common questions
Is a 3.5 GPA good?
On the standard 4.0 scale, 3.5 sits between an A- and B+ average — comfortably above the typical US college average (around 3.1) and competitive for most graduate programs, internships and scholarships, though the most selective programs skew 3.7+. Trend matters too: an upward trajectory reads better than a flat one.
What's the difference between weighted and unweighted averages?
An unweighted average treats every score equally: add them up, divide by the count. A weighted average multiplies each category by its share of the grade first — homework 20%, midterms 40%, final 40% — which is how most courses actually work. If your syllabus lists category percentages, you need the weighted version.