A percent is a way to express a number as a fraction of 100. It is often represented by the symbol “%.” For example, 25% means 25 out of 100. Percentages are commonly used in various fields, such as finance, education, and statistics, to compare values and understand proportions. To calculate a percentage, you divide the part by the whole and then multiply by 100. For instance, if you scored 18 out of 20 on a test, you would calculate your percentage as (18 ÷ 20) × 100, which equals 90%. This means you achieved 90% of the total possible score.