spaceSo, you've made it up to fifth or seventh year and it's time to take your exams. Congratulations! Make sure before you post your exams that you read this thread in its entirety.
xxxX What Are OWLs?xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
spaceAn 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.
xxxX What Are NEWTs?xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
spaceA Nastily Exhausting Wizarding Test (often abbreviated N.E.W.T.) is a subject-specific exam that seventh year wizards and witches at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry take to help them pursue certain careers after their graduation.
xxxX When do I take my exams?xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
spaceIn-character, OWLs and NEWTs are administered during the last two weeks of your student's fifth and seventh years, respectively. As for when you can 'take' them in-guild, you have from the moment their fifth or seventh year starts until it ends. That is, the entire three-month period that makes up one school year.
xxxX Why do I need to take these exams?xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
spaceYour character's scores on these exams determine what jobs they are qualified for after their graduation. While there are some jobs that you can get without exam scores, most will require at least a minimum of a few passing OWL scores (Charms being the most common).
xxxX What happens if I fail my exams?xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
spaceIf a character fails more than half of their OWL exams, they will be held back a year and forced to retake them. If they fail less than that, they have the option of being held back in the courses corresponding to the exams they've received a P on (you may not retake any exams if your score is lower than this). They may then retake the exam and, if they pass, potentially double up on the NEWT level course to take the exam seventh year (although this is inadvisable if they have not received high marks on the second attempt). Alternatively, they may simply drop the courses they've failed in. There is, unfortunately, no retaking NEWTs - once you have failed a NEWT exam, you have failed it, unless there are extenuating (usually plot-related) circumstances.
xxxX What OWL scores do I need to get into NEWT level courses?xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
spaceYou can find the full list of NEWT level course requirements here. Many courses will allow you to continue so long as you passed your OWL exam with an A, though some more complicated courses require higher scores. You also have the option in some cases of speaking with the professor about continuing despite not making the grade. To do so, please PM the professor in charge of that class.
xxxX What do the grades on the exams mean?xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
spaceOWLs and NEWTs are not graded on the A-F scale most are familiar with. Instead, the are graded like so:
O - Outstanding EE - Exceeds Expectations A - Acceptable P - Poor D - Dreadful T - Troll
spaceIt should be noted that these grades do not directly correspond with the A-F scale, either. Instead, they look more like this:
O - 100-95 EE - 85-94 A - 70-84 P - 69-60 D - 59-50 T - 50 and below
spacePlease be mindful of this when writing up your student's exams.
xxxX Wait, do I actually have to take these tests?xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
spaceThankfully, no. In the past, the guild utilized a short quiz on basic information taught in classes in place of real exams, but this proved to be too much of a hassle. Now, we have moved to a self-grading system, where you will be permitted to choose your student's grades, much like how you include grades in your adult character's profiles. A crew member will then come through and approve your character's grades.
spaceNote: Muggleborns, Halfbloods, and Purebloods familiar with Muggles can sit in on the Muggle Studies NEWT to pass for jobs that require the Muggle Studies NEWT without taking the class.
xxxX In-character, what are the exams like?xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
spaceOWL and NEWT exams are both administered during the final two weeks of the school year, with students sitting for written examinations in the morning, consisting of multiple choice and short answer questions. The afternoon will be dedicated to a practical examination in cases where it is applicable, such as Charms or Divination. In cases where it is not, such as History of Magic, students will be asked to write an essay. Practicals for OWLs can be expected to be an intermediate show of skill in the course. Practicals for NEWTs will generally be multi-step, and require highly advanced magic.
Updated to correct needed exams for Muggle Studies [08/19/2023] ~ 𝓖𝓻𝔂𝒇𝒇𝓲𝒆
Posted: Sun Dec 23, 2018 9:05 pm
xxxx X xxxxExams - How Toxxxx X xxxx
spaceHere are the instructions about how to write up and grade your students exams. Please follow them carefully. Any mistakes will result in edits being required on your student's exams.
xxxX Step One (OWLs) - Post your threadxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
spaceYou'll need to make a new thread in this subforum for your exams. You will use the same thread for both your OWLs in fifth year, and then your NEWTs in seventh. The thread title should be your student's name, which exams they are currently on, and an indication that they are currently incomplete, such as (IC) or (In Progress). Ex: Whitney Prescott ~ OWLs (IC)
xxxX Step One (NEWTs) - Make a new post in your threadxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
spaceAs stated, you're going to use the same thread for both sets of exams. So, find your exam thread from when you took your OWLs, and make a new post in it for your NEWTs. Edit the first post so that you can change the title to indicate that you are currently on your NEWTs and that they are incomplete. Ex: Nathaniel Ellerly ~ NEWTs (IC)
xxxX Step Two - List your examsxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
spaceYou need to list each of the exams your student is taking. Please make sure they are separated between core and elective, and then listed alphabetically. Students should take OWL exams for every class they are enrolled in. They may take NEWT exams even if they are not enrolled in a class, provided they had previously passed the OWL exam for it. However, it should be noted that they are unlikely to be able to pass the exam if they have not taken the NEWT level course.
xxxX Step Three - Grade your examsxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
spaceAs stated above, you do not actually take any exams for your student's classes. Instead, you will need to self-grade your student's exams. Choose grades based on how well you think they would have logically performed on an actual exam. Make sure to take the number of exams they are taking and the difficulty of their course-load into consideration; a student with a larger course-load, or more difficult courses, is unlikely to perform as well as a student taking less or easier courses.
xxxX Step Four - Justify your gradesxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
spaceUnderneath each course header, you will need to provide a brief explanation of why your student would have received the grade you've given them. It should include things like their abilities in class, how much time they allocated to studying for it, and how well they performed on the practical. Explanations don't need to be super long, but a small paragraph is generally preferred. Explanations less than three sentences long will not be accepted.
xxxX Step Five - Update your thread titlexxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
spaceOnce your explanations are all written out, you need to change your thread title to note that the exams are completed. After that, it's just a matter of waiting until they are graded.
xxxX Step Six - Update your profilexxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
spaceOnce your exams have been graded, you need to add the grades to your student's profile. Make sure that the grades on the profile match up with the ones approved on your exam thread. We will be checking to make sure that they are the same when we look over your yearly updates.
xxxx X xxxxExams - Special Circumstancesxxxx X xxxx
spaceSometimes things crop up in regards to our student's exams that aren't in line with the norm, and they require special rules and exceptions. If you have a question about something of this nature, it may be covered below. If it's not, you can PM the Exam Moderator (Cara MiaKitty) to ask her directly.
xxxX My student is super smart and should get above-average gradesxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
spaceTypically speaking, students are not allowed to receive all above-average grades. There usually needs to be a few A's or lower thrown in for the sake of realism. However, under certain circumstances, this rule can be waived. Those circumstances are:
- A character who is canonically established as being above-average intelligence - A character who is canonically established as having dedicated themselves very rigorously to their studies - A character who has an exceptionally small course-load and thus would have plenty of time to dedicate to their studies (generally only applies to NEWT level students - may be inapplicable if they have a part-time job at Hogsmeade)
spaceIf your student meets one or more of these qualifications, you can petition to have them get all above-average grades. To do so, simple make a note at the bottom of your thread that you are formally requesting such, and explain why. Please note that, if your character is not well-known for having the characteristic you are using to justify the grades, you may be contacted for further explanation. Exam graders reserve the right to deny these petitions on a case-by-case basis. All O's will be granted in extremely limited cases, and only when two or more qualifications are met.
xxxX I wasn't able to finish my exams in timexxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
spaceIf you know you will not be able to complete your exams in time, post your thread and mark it as incomplete. Then, contact the Exam Moderator and formally request an extension. This can be done either by PM, or through conversation in the guild chatroom. If your request is approved, the Exam Moderator will add their signature and a note for an approved extension to your thread. You may request an extension up to the last day of the month. Extension lengths will be decided on a case-by-case basis, but will generally be a week. An extension cannot be granted if your thread is not posted, as there is nowhere for the moderator to leave their signature. Please do not request one until the thread is posted.
xxxX My character was involved in a plot that prevented them from taking their examsxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
spaceIf your character is a fifth year who missed their OWLs, they will be held back. If your character is a seventh year who missed their NEWTs, they can either choose to repeat seventh year and take them, or be classified as a drop-out and move into adult life with no NEWT scores. It should be noted that a lack of NEWT scores may affect their career options later in life, depending on what path they wish to pursue.
xxxX I was unable to complete my student's exams one or more terms ago due to life circumstancesxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
spaceIf you were unable to complete exams due to an unexpected, extended absence, and more than a school year has passed, you will be permitted to simply update your character's profile with exam scores as if they had taken them. However, you will be required to note in your profile that the exam grades need approval,, and you will not be permitted to self-grade with all above-average scores, regardless of your student's aptitude.
xxxX I forgot one or more of my examsxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
spaceIf you forgot to include an exam on your thread, just make a new post on your exam thread with the grade and explanation information you should've included on the previous set. This needs to be done within a school year of when the exam should have been taken. It will be graded with the next year's round of exams. Please add it to your student's profile under their exams as soon as it is graded. This can be done for up to three exams. More than that, and your character will have to retake the fifth or seventh year levels for those courses and "retake" the exams, with some explanation for them having failed or missed the exams the first time provided.
xxxX I need a Muggle Studies score for my character's career but didn't take the classxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
spaceA lot of students skip out on taking Muggle Studies because they are already familiar with the muggle world, only to realize they need the score for some reason or another. Because of this, the exam for Muggle Studies, both OWL and NEWT level, can be taken without having taken the class. This is specifically for muggleborns and halfbloods who would have no reason for needing it, although purebloods are also welcome to take it. If your character is a half- or pureblood, please make sure they have a good reason for why they are able to pass the exam without the class, and make sure their score reflects this. A pureblood student who grew up in an all-muggle neighborhood and had many muggle friends, for instance, would likely have no trouble with the exam, despite being pureblooded. You do not have to take the OWL in order to take the NEWT, unless you actually took the class.
Posted: Sun Dec 23, 2018 9:11 pm
xxxx X xxxxExams - Thread Codingxxxx X xxxx
spaceTo make things easier on the graders when reading through your exam threads, we like for them to be organized and have some level of coding or formatting to help keep information clear. You are more than welcome to code your own exam threads. However, if you are unable to do so, or would rather not take the time, you are free to use the following codes, which have been provided by other members. Click the links to see an example of what each coding set looks like. Please do not use any of this coding outside of this guild without getting permission from the person who coded it first.
spaceIf you are interested in providing your coding for others to use, please send a skeleton and a link to one of your own exam threads to the Exam Moderator to be added to the thread.
[size=16][u][color=white]xxx[/color]C O R E[color=white]xxxxxxxxxxxx[/color][/u][/size] [list][list][list][list][size=11] [u][color=white]xxx[/color]ASTRONOMY ~ X[color=white]xxx[/color][/u] [list][list]■ xx[/list][/list] [u][color=white]xxx[/color]CHARMS ~ X[color=white]xxx[/color][/u] [list][list]■ xx[/list][/list] [u][color=white]xxx[/color]DEFENSE AGAINST THE DARK ARTS ~ X[color=white]xxx[/color][/u] [list][list]■ xx[/list][/list] [u][color=white]xxx[/color]HERBOLOGY ~ X[color=white]xxx[/color][/u] [list][list]■ xx[/list][/list] [u][color=white]xxx[/color]HISTORY OF MAGIC ~ X[color=white]xxx[/color][/u] [list][list]■ xx[/list][/list] [u][color=white]xxx[/color]POTIONS ~ X[color=white]xxx[/color][/u] [list][list]■ xx[/list][/list] [u][color=white]xxx[/color]TRANSFIGURATION ~ X[color=white]xxx[/color][/u] [list][list]■ xx[/list][/list] [/size][/list][/list][/list][/list] [size=16][u][color=white]xxx[/color]E L E C T I V E S[color=white]xxxxxxxxxxxx[/color][/u][/size] [list][list][list][list][size=11] [u][color=white]xxx[/color]CLASS ~ X[color=white]xxx[/color][/u] [list][list]■ xx[/list][/list] [/size][/list][/list][/list][/list]
