OWLs

From UnknowableWiki

OWLs—Ordinary Wizarding Levels—are end-of-the-year examinations which test students' aptitude for the subjects they study in school. Not all wizarding schools administer the test at the same time: Hogwarts students take the OWLs in their fifth years, while Beauxbatons students sit for their respective exams in their sixth year (HBP5).

Each OWL consists of both a practical and a written exam. Special examiners from the Wizarding Examinations Authority administer the tests.

Grades

Passing grades

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

Failing grades

• Poor (P)
• Dreadful (D)
• Troll (T)

The results of the tests are sent by owl in July, a month after the students sit for the test. A student's OWL scores determine their eligibility for the NEWT-level classes of each subject; different teachers have different standards for accepting students into the higher-level class of the subject they teach. For example, Professor McGonagall only accepts students who have achieved an E or higher on their Transfiguration OWL into her NEWT-level class; Professor Snape only allows students who have a score of an O into his NEWT-level Potions class.

The maximum number of OWLs one can receive is twelve (WBD).