What do you need on your final exam to get the grade you want?
Your final course grade is a weighted average of your current grade and your final exam score. The formula to find the required final exam score is:
For example, if your current grade is 82%, the final is worth 30%, and you want a 90%: (90 - 82 x 0.70) / 0.30 = (90 - 57.4) / 0.30 = 108.7%. Since that exceeds 100%, a 90% final grade is not achievable in this scenario.
A = 93-100%, A- = 90-92%, B+ = 87-89%, B = 83-86%, B- = 80-82%, C+ = 77-79%, C = 73-76%, C- = 70-72%, D = 60-69%, F = below 60%. These vary by school, so check your syllabus for exact cutoffs.
If you need a 95%+ on the final, your best approach is to focus study time on the highest-weighted topics. Review the exam format (multiple choice favors broad review; essay favors deep understanding of key concepts). If your professor offers extra credit or drops the lowest exam score, factor that in. Sometimes the realistic play is to aim for a B+ instead of an A- and allocate study time to other courses where it will have more impact on your overall GPA.