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How category weighting works
In a category system the number of assignments inside a group does not change how much that group is worth. If homework counts for twenty percent, it counts for twenty percent whether there were four assignments or forty. What changes is how much each individual piece matters within its own category, which is why one missed homework out of twenty barely registers while one missed exam out of two is painful.
The calculator averages the scores inside each category first, then combines those averages using the weights you set. Each category shows its own average underneath, which is usually where the problem becomes obvious. A strong exam average sitting next to a weak homework average tells you where the easy points are going missing.
Choosing where to spend your effort
Once your categories are in, try raising one score at a time and watch the total. A five point gain in a category worth half your grade moves things far more than a ten point gain in one worth ten percent. Students often discover that the assignment they have been agonising over is worth almost nothing, while the category quietly sinking their grade is the one they have been ignoring.
If your class weights every assignment individually rather than by category, the standard grade calculator fits better. To turn the percentage you end up with into GPA points, take it to the college GPA calculator or check the GPA scale.