I have an 85 in a class but want an A…Is it doable?
Of course it is. Schedule a conference with the teacher and present this question to him/her. If there is a heavy reliance on the final exam, or if you can re-do/make-up work or do extra credit, NOW is the time to ask, not in 8 - 10 weeks.
Good for you for being proactive!
*disclaimer: of course it depends on the grading policy of the teacher. But, it is possible, depending on circumstances. Being public about it and stating your intentions, along with frequent check-ins will make it more likely, since the teacher will have a more personal investment in your learning.
If it’s a math class, probably not.
But seriously, how on earth can anyone answer this without knowing how many more assessments there will be and how many have already taken place? Percent= points earned/points available. Once you know what the total available points will be, you can use basic algebra to figure out how many of those you need to get your desired grade. If you’ve only had one grade so far and it’s an 85, then all you need is a 95 to have a 90 average. But if you’ve had 10 assessments and three to go then the highest you can get is an 88 with 100s on the remaining three.
Ask your teacher. Also, consider that not all assessments are weighted equally. Only your teacher can tell you if it is mathematically possible or not.
As neatoburrito said, why are you asking CC forums when you really should be asking yourself or your teacher? We would need to know the weightings of each of the components used for grading (e.g. tests, HW, attendance), what scores you have earned so far, and even what percent is needed for an A (which I presume is probably 90%). If you put in the effort, you may be able to raise it to an A.
Does your school do only semesters? Our 3rd quarter ends Friday.