Student Grading And Exams

Admin Posts : 20 Join date : 2010-07-09

OWLS

An O.W.L. (Ordinary Wizarding Level) is a subject-specific test taken during Hogwarts students' fifth year, administrated by the Wizarding Examinations Authority. The score made by a student on a particular O.W.L. determines whether or not he or she will be allowed to continue taking that subject in subsequent school years.

Preparation for both O.W.L.'s and N.E.W.T.'s is very hard work. Students will generally begin preparing for their O.W.L.'s in their fourth year, in order to take them at the end of their fifth.

Most O.W.L.s are divided into practical exams and written exams.

SCHEDULE

O.W.L. exams are administered over a period of two successive weeks at the end of fifth year. Those exams that are divided into two parts: students will sit the theory portion in the morning and the practical portion in the afternoon, with the exception of the Astronomy practical exam, which occurs at night.

First week

* Monday – Charms
* Tuesday – Transfiguration
* Wednesday – Herbology
* Thursday – Defence Against the Dark Arts
* Friday – Study of Ancient Runes

Second week

* Monday – Potions
* Tuesday – Care of Magical Creatures
* Wednesday – Astronomy, Divination, and Arithmancy
* Thursday – History of Magic

Unknown

* Muggle Studies – not specified

O.W.L. scores

If a student fails an O.W.L. and still wishes to retake it, they are presumably held back in that class. This was the case for Marcus Flint; Professor Severus Snape also remarked in 1996 that Vincent Crabbe and Gregory Goyle need to pass their Defence Against the Dark Arts O.W.L.

Passing grades

* O (Outstanding)
* E (Exceeds Expectations)
* A (Acceptable)

Failing grades

* P (Poor)
* D (Dreadful)
* T (Troll)

The professor picks what marks allow the student to continue to take their class. Most professors will allow students with a P grading to continue the class in their 6 and 7th NEWT years.

Admin Posts : 20 Join date : 2010-07-09

N.E.W.T.s (Nastily Exhausting Wizarding Tests)

are subject-specific exams that seventh-year wizards and witches at Hogwarts take to help them get certain jobs after graduation. For instance, the Ministry of Magic only accept Auror applicants with at least five N.E.W.T.s with the grade "Exceeds Expectations" or better. Not all wizards pass or even take the N.E.W.T.s, as they can find other jobs using their O.W.L. results. Fred and George Weasley, for example, were not bothered about taking the N.E.W.T.s and left Hogwarts in the middle of school-term (since their ambition was to open their joke shop, results were not an imperative in their opinion).

A student must have previously achieved an O.W.L. in the subject in order to move on to N.E.W.T.-level classes. Many Hogwarts Professors will accept an "Exceeds Expectations" in the student's O.W.L. for a class in order to allow them into the N.E.W.T.-level classes; however, some, such as Severus Snape, would only let students with an "Outstanding" in their O.W.L. pass through to his Potions N.E.W.T. class.