How to Calculate the Percentage of Marks? : Best Tips and Examples in 2024-25

Getting impressive grades in Grade 12 is quite essential in building future career prospects. However, calculating the percentage marks seems to be a problem for most students. Here is a blog that will really help in making this process easy and handy with practical tips.

Understanding Percentile Calculations

A percent means a number expressed as a fraction of 100. It is quite useful in comparing different quantities and understanding proportions. Whether you are working out your grades or budgeting, knowing how to work out percentages comes quite in handy.

Calculating the Percentage of Marks

To work out your percentage of marks, follow these two easy steps:

Divide Marks Obtained by the Total Marks: This gives you the ratio of the marks you scored.

Now multiply the result by 100: This converts the ratio into a percentage.

Example Calculation

Take the example of six subjects: English (78), History (90), Geography (85), Economics (79), Political Science (88), and Sociology (75).

Total Marks Obtained: 78 + 90 + 85 + 79 + 88 + 75 = 495

Maximum Marks Potential: 6 subjects x 100 = 600

Percentage Calculation: (495/600) x 100 = 82.5%

This is a very easy method that will make it easy for every student to quickly and accurately find their percentage.

Difference Between Percentage and Percentile

Knowing the difference between a percentage and a percentile is important. In general, a percentage is a fraction with the denominator of 100. A percentile, however, is a way to describe how a score ranks compared to other scores. For example, if you score in the 90th percentile on a test, that means that you scored higher than 90% of the people who took the test.

Converting Fractions to Percentages

The easiest way to convert a fraction into a percentage is to first divide the numerator by the denominator to find the decimal equivalent and then multiply that answer by 100. Thus, the fraction 3/4 would be: 

Decimal Equivalent: 3 ÷ 4 = 0.75 

Percentage Equivalent: 0.75 x 100 = 75% 

Percent Increase and Percent Decrease 

Another area involving percentages is calculating percent increases and percent decreases. The formulas are: 

Percent Increase: Increase in Value / Original Value) x 100 

Percent Decrease: Decrease in Value / Original Value) x 100

For instance, if a value of 50 becomes 75, then the percent increase is as follows: 

Increase in Value: 75 - 50 = 25 

Percentage Increase: (25 / 50) x 100 = 50% 

Simple Methods for Percentages 

To find 50%, simply divide the quantity by 2. Example: 50% of 30 is 30 ÷ 2 = 15.

Calculate 10%: Divide by 10, or move the decimal one place left. For example, 10% of 50 is 50 ÷ 10 = 5. Calculate above 100%: For percentages above 100, multiply, and then simplify. For example, 150% of 50 is (150/100) x 50 = 75. Calculate 25%: Divide by 4. For example, 25% of 40 is 40 ÷ 4 = 10.

Using Technology to Ensure Accuracy

Also with complex numbers a calculator will ensure accuracy. There are also computer packages such as Excel which can make percentage calculations much easier. So, for example, using Excel if your marks are in cell A1 and the total marks are in cell B1 the formula =(A1/B1)*100 will calculate the percentage.

Conclusion

Knowing the tricks of percentage calculation is a very useful skill that goes beyond academics and helps in day-to-day life, be it calculating grades, financial budgets, or even understanding statistical data. The ability to calculate percentages empowers you to make informed decisions in your academic and professional journey.

CAREER guidance: The need for a career counsellor

Career choice is, therefore, very important and more so to the students that have undergone schools which emphasize personalised learning with independent study. 

At Jitin Chawla's Centre for Career Development, we understand that sometimes special help may be needed to translate these rich educational experiences into meaningful career choices. Our endeavour at Jitin Chawla's Centre for Career Development is to arm you with the skills to build up a fulfilling and prosperous career. Be assured that we at Jitin Chawla's Centre for Career Development are wholeheartedly committed to bringing your aspirations into being through individual counseling and incessant support with meticulous planning.

Ready to take the next step? Book a counselling session today with one of our expert counsellors and start building your future now.