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Энциклопедия » Хогвартс

СОВ (Стандарты обучения волшебству)

OWLs (Ordinary Wizarding Levels)

Стандарты обучения волшебству (СОВ) — экзамен, который в обязательном порядке сдают все учащиеся в конце 5 курса по всем изучаемым предметам.

На экзаменах СОВ приняты следующие оценки.

Положительные оценки:

П — Превосходно (O = Outstanding)

В — Выше ожидаемого (E = Exceeds Expectations)

У — Удовлетворительно (A = Acceptable)

Отрицательные оценки:

С — Слабо (P = Poor)

О — Отвратительно (D = Dreadful)

Т — Тролль (T = Troll)

Оценки по СОВ могут быть выставлены сразу, но обычно приходят ученикам по почте через месяц.

3 июля 1992 года Перси Уизли получил присланные на дом результаты экзаменов, из которых стало известно, что он получил 12 баллов по СОВ. В 1994 году результаты всех экзаменов были объявлены в последний день семестра и стало известно, что Фред и Джордж Уизли едва наскребли скудные баллы по СОВ. А в июле 1996 года Гарри, Рон и Гермиона получили свои результаты за СОВ по почте.

Влияние СОВ на дальнейшее обучение и карьеру

Для продолжения занятий по определённому предмету необходимо получить за экзамен по нему оценку не ниже «У», хотя некоторые преподаватели требуют «В» (например, профессор МакГонагалл) и даже «П» (профессор Снейп). Некоторые студенты, получившие низкие оценки по определенному предмету, продолжают учить его в последние два года, но на уровне СОВ.

СОВ достаточно для того, чтобы волшебник считался образованным и покинул Хогвартс. Сдача экзамена СОВ даёт что-то вроде неполного среднего образования у нас. Так, после шестого курса школу покинули Гарри Поттер, Рон Уизли, Гермиона Грейнджер и многие маглорождённые студенты, которых в это время застало правление приспешников Волдеморта. Близнецы Уизли ушли из Хогвартса, так и не доучившись седьмой год. При желании волшебник может вернуться в Хогвартс и получить полное образование. Но на это решаются далеко не все «досрочники». Джоан Роулинг говорит, что только Гермиона Грейнджер вернулась в Хогвартс, чтобы окончить седьмой курс. Также, исходя из того, что Невилл Лонгботтом стал профессором и преподавателем травологии в Хогвартсе, можно сделать вывод, что он также закончил седьмой курс и сдал ЖАБА.

Также оценки по СОВ имеют значение для овладения какой-либо из магических профессий. Недаром для пятикурсников проводятся специальные консультации, на которых декан их факультета в индивидуальном порядке даёт советы, на какие предметы студенту стоит обратить более пристальное внимание, если он выбрал такую-то профессию. Видимо, если учащийся не набрал необходимых проходных баллов по определённым предметам, его не примут к обучению выбранной специальности.

Студенты, получившие проходные баллы по всем 12-ти экзаменам: Билл Уизли, Перси Уизли, Барти Крауч-младший (по словам отца).

Рону оценка «Тролль» сначала казалась шуткой близнецов Уизли, но потом выяснилось, что она настоящая.

В английском оригинале положительные оценки обозначены гласными, отрицательные — согласными.

Результаты экзаменов

* * *

Реально существующий аналог СОВ в России — ОГЭ (Основной государственный экзамен), ранее известный как ГИА (Государственная итоговая аттестация), который обычно сдают в 9 классе.

Также существует аналог СОВ и в Украине — ДПА (Державна підсумкова атестація), которое сдают по окончанию 9 класса.

An Ordinary Wizarding Level (often abbreviated O.W.L.) was a series of subject-specific standardised tests taken during Hogwarts students’ fifth year. These exams were administered by the Wizarding Examinations Authority and had been around since at least the late 1800s.^[2]

Each subject had its own O.W.L. exam. The score achieved by a student on a particular O.W.L. determined whether or not that student would be allowed to continue studying in the more advanced classes of that subject in their sixth and seventh years. If students did not score high enough on a subjects O.W.L., then they would not be allowed to take that class anymore. Exam scores also determined what type of job a student could have once they graduated Hogwarts.^[3]

As well as referring to the test that students took in their fifth year, the term «O.W.L.» also referred to the type of class, i.e. the level of difficulty of the class the student is taking. In addition, «achieving an O.W.L.» was used to refer to a class in which the student had passed their O.W.L. exam (example: Harry Potter received an O.W.L. in Transfiguration by attaining a passing grade on the O.W.L. exam for that class).^[4]

Importance

Once a student passed the O.W.L.s, they would be allowed to take the N.E.W.T. -level classes in their sixth and seventh years. In their seventh year, students took the Nastily Exhausting Wizarding Test, or N.E.W.T., the scores of which were what potential employers looked at when the student was looking for a career after they completed their education. Some careers required certain subjects to be taken at N.E.W.T. -level and with a passing grade or in some cases top grades. The O.W.L. examinations basically determined what type of career options students would be able to pursue once their education had been completed.^[3]

In order to be admitted into a class at N.E.W.T. level, a student first had to achieve an ‘Outstanding’ or ‘Exceeds Expectations’ at O.W.L.-level in order to prove they could cope with the upcoming course work, which would be much more advanced. Minerva McGonagall would not let Neville Longbottom into her N.E.W.T. Transfiguration class, because he did not achieve a high enough grade, which meant that Neville would have not had the skills or knowledge in that field to reasonably keep up with the significantly more challenging coursework.^[5] The individual teachers decided what grade was required for a student to take their class at N.E.W.T. level, Severus Snape only accepted students into his advanced potions class if they got an ‘Outstanding’ on the O.W.L. exam, while Horace Slughorn was perfectly willing to accept students with ‘Exceeds Expectations’.

Successfully completing the O.W.L.s was also a sign that the student was trustworthy enough to be a law-abiding citizen who could learn from their mistakes. Thus, any such students who were expelled would be permitted to keep their wands and continue to practise magic, though this would be a sign of disgrace forever tainting their permanent record, as Newton Scamander underwent.^[6]

Due to the serious and important nature of the tests, preparation for both O.W.L.s and N.E.W.T.s was very hard work. Students would generally begin preparing for their O.W.L.s in their fourth year, in order to take them at the end of their fifth.^[7] The pressure was enough to make certain students (such as Hannah Abbott) have a panic attack, and it was necessary to give them a Calming Draught to lower their anxiety.^[8]

Cheating

Cheating was also both highly tempting for the students and highly guarded against by the exam givers. Anti-Cheating Spells were applied to all O.W.L. exam papers. Auto-Answer Quills, Remembralls, Detachable Cribbing Cuffs, and Self-Correcting Ink were all banned from the examination hall as well.^[1] Despite this, at least one student attempted to cheat every year, though none known were successful since the year 1896.^[9]

Coursework

Students in fourth year received more homework then any of the years prior, in preparation for their upcoming O.W.L.s. Once a student was in their fifth year, the amount of homework being set would drastically increase. During a 1995 Charms lesson, students spent more than an hour reviewing Summoning Charms, which according to Professor Flitwick were bound to come up in their O.W.L. Professor Flitwick then finished the lesson by setting fifth years their largest amount of Charms homework ever.^[10]

It was the same, if not worse, in Transfiguration. A Transfiguration lesson on Vanishing Spells ended with everybody, but Hermione Granger being given homework.^[10] This was done to prepare students, as Vanishing Spells were some of the most difficult magic they would be tested on during their O.W.L. exams.^[10] The amount of homework being set increased with every class, not just a select few. For O.W.L.-level Astronomy, students filled in blank star charts and were expected to complete long and complex essays.^[11][12] Astronomy homework became so intensive that some students had to organise meetings to help each other get through it.^[13] In Study of Ancient Runes fifth years had homework that involved translating runes. The Astronomy and Ancient Runes homework coincided with the exam material for both classes.^[1]

This intense work load, lead to some students panicking about the amount of homework they had to do. For example, Harry Potter and Ron Weasley spent a lunch hour in the library looking up the uses of moonstones in potion-making.^[14] It also resulted in some students developing headaches due to the stress, because of the sheer quantity of work being set.^[10] Harry was a frequent victim of these headaches, and the pain would stab at him sharply.

During the same point in time, some fifth year students had to write three essays, practise Vanishing Spells for McGonagall, work out a counter-charm for Flitwick, finish a bowtruckle drawing, and start a dream diary for Professor Trelawney.^[10] Apparently, O.W.L.-level Divination had such an increase in coursework that homework meetings between students were common.^[13] Essays were issued in both Herbology and History of Magic as well. The History of Magic essay on Giant Wars was considered long.^[14] These essays most likely reflected questions that would be asked on the theory portions of the O.W.L exams. This trend in homework continued for the majority of the school year of fifth years.

Study

Students such as Ernie Macmillan studied eight or nine hours a day in order to ensure good results’. The day before exams, fifth year students in Gryffindor spent the entire day reviewing subject content that could appear in their exams. Harry Potter quizzed Hermione Granger by asking her question from the book Achievements in Charming. Hermione became so agitated that she accidentally hit Harry in the nose with the sharp corner of the book, after having snatched it back in order to check her answers.^[1]

Ron Weasley spent his time reading two years’ worth of Charms notes with his fingers in his ears, his lips moving soundlessly. Seamus Finnigan laid flat on his back on the floor, reciting the definition of a Substantive Charm while Dean Thomas checked it against The Standard Book of Spells, Grade 5. Parvati Patil and Lavender Brown practised basic Locomotion Charms, by making their pencil-cases race each other around the edge of a table.^[1]

The evening before the exam was uncomfortable. Every fifth year was trying to do last-minute revising, but nobody seemed to be getting very far. All the fifth year boys were lying awake, but no one in the dormitory spoke. None of the fifth-years talked very much at breakfast the next day, either. Parvati was practising incantations under her breath. Hermione was rereading Achievements in Charming so fast that her eyes appeared blurred. Neville Longbottom kept dropping his knife and fork and knocking over the marmalade.^[1]

Students also studied in between exams, practising wand movements and whispering incantations under their breath. Students also went straight to their common rooms after meals and submerged themselves in revision for whatever exams they had the next day.^[1] Ginny Weasley was also forced to study for hours into the night and spend much time within the Hogwarts Library.^[15]

Exams

Most O.W.L.s were divided into written exams and practical exams.^[1] The O.W.L. was comparable to the Muggle «O level» given at the same stage of education (the «O» standing for Ordinary). In 1988, this examination was replaced by the G.C.S.E. in England and Wales and the Standard Certificate level in Scotland, though in recent years the Standard Certificate has been replaced by National 5s in Scotland, but wizards were under no obligation to change their examinations when Muggles did.

Strict measures, such as Anti-Cheating Quills and Anti-Cheating spells, were used to prevent academic dishonesty. Among the examiners were Griselda Marchbanks and Professor Tofty. When a practical examination started, students would be called in alphabetically, by either first or last name.^[1]

Schedule

O.W.L. exams were administered over a period of two successive weeks at the end of fifth year. Most exams were 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.^[1]

1989

The exact days for the O.W.L.s was unknown, but it was known that seven of the O.W.L.s were held in this order.^[16]

1. Potions
2. Charms
3. Transfiguration
4. Herbology
5. Care of Magical Creatures
6. History of Magic
7. Defence Against the Dark Arts

It is unknown when the Astronomy, Divination, Arithmancy, Muggle Studies and Study of Ancient Runes O.W.L.s took place.

1996

First week

Second week

Subject	Time	Exam info
Potions	Monday	«Sure enough, he found the written paper difficult, though he thought he might have got full marks on the question about Polyjuice Potion; he could describe its effects accurately, having taken it illegally in his second year.« — Harry Potter’s Potions written exam[src] Written: Contains a question about Polyjuice Potion (it is noted that the written exam is quite difficult)[1]
«The afternoon practical was not as dreadful as he had expected, it to be. With Snape absent from the proceedings, he found that he was much more relaxed than he usually was while making potions. Neville, who was sitting very near Harry, also looked happier than Harry had ever seen him during a Potions class.« — Potions practical[src] Practical: The making of certain potions, although few details are known.[1]
Care of Magical Creatures	Tuesday	Written: Unknown
«The practical examination took place in the afternoon on the lawn on the edge of the Forbidden Forest… « — 1996 practical exam[src] Practical: Identify a Knarl hidden among a dozen hedgehogs; Demonstrate correct handling of a Bowtruckle; Feed and clean out a Fire crab without sustaining serious burns; Choose from a wide selection of food the diet they would give a sick Unicorn.[1]
Astronomy	Wednesday	«The Astronomy theory paper on Wednesday morning went well enough.« — Harry Potter’s written Astronomy exam[src] Written: Identify all of Jupiter’s moons (among other questions, presumably).[1]
Practical: Look at the telescope and fill in the blank star‐chart with the precise positions of the stars and planets they were observing.[1]
Divination	Wednesday	Written: Unknown; possibly contains questions of describing various methods of divination, mind and concentration techniques and practical theory; it is presumably generally easier than the practical part of the exam.
«He might as well have tried to see moving pictures on the desktop as in the stubbornly blank crystal ball; he lost his head completely during tea-leaf reading, saying it looked to him as though Professor Marchbanks would shortly be meeting a round, dark, soggy stranger, and rounded off the whole fiasco by mixing up the life and head lines on her palm and informing her that she ought to have died the previous Tuesday.« — Harry Potter’s Divination practical[src] Practical: Crystal ball reading, tea-leaf reading, palm-reading.[1]
Arithmancy	Wednesday	Written: Unknown
Practical: Unknown; given the highly theoretical nature of this discipline, its exam may consist solely of a written section. Although it could be that the practical section may consist of application methods and calculations of several magical forces and devices including numbers and numerology.
History of Magic	Thursday	«He was finding it very difficult to remember names and kept confusing dates. He simply skipped question four… thinking that he would go back to it if he had time at the end. He had a stab at question five… but had a nagging suspicion that he had missed several important points; he had a feeling vampires had come into the story somewhere.« — Harry Potter’s History of Magic exam[src] Written: Wand legislation; Goblin riots of the eighteenth century; Statute of Secrecy breach; Formation of the International Confederation of Wizards and explain why the Warlocks of Liechtenstein refused to join.[1]

Unknown

• Muggle Studies – It was not specified when this exam was taken, or what components it included.

O.W.L. scores

If a student failed an O.W.L. and still wished to retake it, they were presumably held back in that class. Professor Severus Snape remarked in 1996 that Vincent Crabbe and Gregory Goyle needed to pass their Defence Against the Dark Arts O.W.L.s, and that he gave them detention for this.^[19]

O.W.L.s achieved

See also

• N.E.W.T.
• W.O.M.B.A.T.

Behind the scenes

• O.W.L.s are comparable to the formerly used Ordinary Levels (known as «O-Levels») that these exams appear to be named after, being taken around the same age and studied for two years before examination.
• In the film adaptations, «O.W.L» is pronounced as an acronym, but in the UK audiobooks every letter is enunciated individually, presumably to avoid ambiguity.
• In their Charms exam, students are called in order by last name, alphabetically. However, Harry Potter and Hannah Abbott are called at the same time for their Transfiguration exam, which may mean Transfiguration O.W.Ls are called in order of first name.
• The only known characters to receive all twelve O.W.L.s are Percy Weasley, Bill Weasley, and Bartemius Crouch Junior. However, in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, it is revealed that attempting this would cause a timetable clash during that year; Minerva McGonagall had to write several letters to the Ministry in order to obtain a Time-Turner for Hermione Granger so that she would be able to attend all her classes when she attempted to take all twelve subjects in her third year (although she ultimately dropped two when she was not able to cope with so many subjects). It is unclear how Percy, Bill, and Barty Crouch Jnr were able to make a similar accomplishment as Hermione’s was the only Time-Turner to ever enter Hogwarts according to J.K. Rowling.^[40] It should be noted that Barty Crouch Jnr obtaining twelve O.W.L.s was mentioned by his father during a bout of insane rambling due to the damage to his mind from fighting the Imperius Curse and could have been a delusional mistake on the part of Bartemius Crouch Senior. On the other hand, all three had parents connected in some way with the Ministry, so this is fairly plausible.
• Harry Potter and his year all begin studying for their O.W.L.S as early as the beginning of fourth year. It is unknown whether this is the case with other years at Hogwarts or if it was a precaution so students didn’t forget their work whilst the Triwizard Tournament was being held.
• In early editions of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Hermione Granger is said to receive eleven O.W.L.s, scoring ten O’s and one E. However, after the events of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Hermione shrunk her class load from twelve subjects to ten, dropping both Divination and Muggle Studies. This was corrected in the Scholastic edition, where Ron instead states the she received nine O’s and one E, giving her a total of ten O.W.L.s.
• It is interesting to note that the passing grades of O.W.L. exams are vowels (A, E, and O), while the failing grades are consonants (P, D, and T).
• In the film version of Half—Blood Prince, many more students are seen studying N.E.W.T. level Potions. Interestingly, both Romilda Vane and Katie Bell are seen in this class, despite the fact that Romilda is a fourth year and Katie is a seventh year.
• In Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery, players can guide Jacob’s sibling to gain at least an A in 7 subjects:
  • Charms
  • Potions
  • Transfiguration
  • Care of Magical Creatures
  • Herbology
  • History of Magic
  • Defence Against the Dark Arts
  • It is likely Jacob’s sibling also got a passing grade in Astronomy and Divination, as these classes are unlocked in Year 6.

Appearances

• Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (First mentioned)
• Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (Mentioned only)
• Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (film) (Mentioned only) (Not Danish)
• Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (Mentioned only)
• Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (First appearance)
• Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (film)
• Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (video game)
• Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (Mentioned only)
• Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (film) (Mentioned only)
• Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (video game) (Mentioned only)
• Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (Appears in flashback(s))
• Harry Potter and the Cursed Child (Mentioned only)
• Harry Potter and the Cursed Child (play) (Mentioned only)
• Pottermore (Mentioned only)
• Wizarding World (Mentioned only)
• Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery
• Harry Potter: Wizards Unite (Mentioned only)
• Hogwarts Legacy (Mentioned only)

Notes and references

An Ordinary Wizarding Level (often abbreviated O.W.L.) was a series of subject-specific standardised tests taken during Hogwarts students’ fifth year. These exams were administered by the Wizarding Examinations Authority and had been around since at least the late 1800s.^[2]

Each subject had its own O.W.L. exam. The score achieved by a student on a particular O.W.L. determined whether or not that student would be allowed to continue studying in the more advanced classes of that subject in their sixth and seventh years. If students did not score high enough on a subjects O.W.L., then they would not be allowed to take that class anymore. Exam scores also determined what type of job a student could have once they graduated Hogwarts.^[3]

As well as referring to the test that students took in their fifth year, the term «O.W.L.» also referred to the type of class, i.e. the level of difficulty of the class the student is taking. In addition, «achieving an O.W.L.» was used to refer to a class in which the student had passed their O.W.L. exam (example: Harry Potter received an O.W.L. in Transfiguration by attaining a passing grade on the O.W.L. exam for that class).^[4]

Importance

Once a student passed the O.W.L.s, they would be allowed to take the N.E.W.T. -level classes in their sixth and seventh years. In their seventh year, students took the Nastily Exhausting Wizarding Test, or N.E.W.T., the scores of which were what potential employers looked at when the student was looking for a career after they completed their education. Some careers required certain subjects to be taken at N.E.W.T. -level and with a passing grade or in some cases top grades. The O.W.L. examinations basically determined what type of career options students would be able to pursue once their education had been completed.^[3]

In order to be admitted into a class at N.E.W.T. level, a student first had to achieve an ‘Outstanding’ or ‘Exceeds Expectations’ at O.W.L.-level in order to prove they could cope with the upcoming course work, which would be much more advanced. Minerva McGonagall would not let Neville Longbottom into her N.E.W.T. Transfiguration class, because he did not achieve a high enough grade, which meant that Neville would have not had the skills or knowledge in that field to reasonably keep up with the significantly more challenging coursework.^[5] The individual teachers decided what grade was required for a student to take their class at N.E.W.T. level, Severus Snape only accepted students into his advanced potions class if they got an ‘Outstanding’ on the O.W.L. exam, while Horace Slughorn was perfectly willing to accept students with ‘Exceeds Expectations’.

Successfully completing the O.W.L.s was also a sign that the student was trustworthy enough to be a law-abiding citizen who could learn from their mistakes. Thus, any such students who were expelled would be permitted to keep their wands and continue to practise magic, though this would be a sign of disgrace forever tainting their permanent record, as Newton Scamander underwent.^[6]

Due to the serious and important nature of the tests, preparation for both O.W.L.s and N.E.W.T.s was very hard work. Students would generally begin preparing for their O.W.L.s in their fourth year, in order to take them at the end of their fifth.^[7] The pressure was enough to make certain students (such as Hannah Abbott) have a panic attack, and it was necessary to give them a Calming Draught to lower their anxiety.^[8]

Cheating

Cheating was also both highly tempting for the students and highly guarded against by the exam givers. Anti-Cheating Spells were applied to all O.W.L. exam papers. Auto-Answer Quills, Remembralls, Detachable Cribbing Cuffs, and Self-Correcting Ink were all banned from the examination hall as well.^[1] Despite this, at least one student attempted to cheat every year, though none known were successful since the year 1896.^[9]

Coursework

Students in fourth year received more homework then any of the years prior, in preparation for their upcoming O.W.L.s. Once a student was in their fifth year, the amount of homework being set would drastically increase. During a 1995 Charms lesson, students spent more than an hour reviewing Summoning Charms, which according to Professor Flitwick were bound to come up in their O.W.L. Professor Flitwick then finished the lesson by setting fifth years their largest amount of Charms homework ever.^[10]

It was the same, if not worse, in Transfiguration. A Transfiguration lesson on Vanishing Spells ended with everybody, but Hermione Granger being given homework.^[10] This was done to prepare students, as Vanishing Spells were some of the most difficult magic they would be tested on during their O.W.L. exams.^[10] The amount of homework being set increased with every class, not just a select few. For O.W.L.-level Astronomy, students filled in blank star charts and were expected to complete long and complex essays.^[11][12] Astronomy homework became so intensive that some students had to organise meetings to help each other get through it.^[13] In Study of Ancient Runes fifth years had homework that involved translating runes. The Astronomy and Ancient Runes homework coincided with the exam material for both classes.^[1]

This intense work load, lead to some students panicking about the amount of homework they had to do. For example, Harry Potter and Ron Weasley spent a lunch hour in the library looking up the uses of moonstones in potion-making.^[14] It also resulted in some students developing headaches due to the stress, because of the sheer quantity of work being set.^[10] Harry was a frequent victim of these headaches, and the pain would stab at him sharply.

During the same point in time, some fifth year students had to write three essays, practise Vanishing Spells for McGonagall, work out a counter-charm for Flitwick, finish a bowtruckle drawing, and start a dream diary for Professor Trelawney.^[10] Apparently, O.W.L.-level Divination had such an increase in coursework that homework meetings between students were common.^[13] Essays were issued in both Herbology and History of Magic as well. The History of Magic essay on Giant Wars was considered long.^[14] These essays most likely reflected questions that would be asked on the theory portions of the O.W.L exams. This trend in homework continued for the majority of the school year of fifth years.

Study

Students such as Ernie Macmillan studied eight or nine hours a day in order to ensure good results’. The day before exams, fifth year students in Gryffindor spent the entire day reviewing subject content that could appear in their exams. Harry Potter quizzed Hermione Granger by asking her question from the book Achievements in Charming. Hermione became so agitated that she accidentally hit Harry in the nose with the sharp corner of the book, after having snatched it back in order to check her answers.^[1]

Ron Weasley spent his time reading two years’ worth of Charms notes with his fingers in his ears, his lips moving soundlessly. Seamus Finnigan laid flat on his back on the floor, reciting the definition of a Substantive Charm while Dean Thomas checked it against The Standard Book of Spells, Grade 5. Parvati Patil and Lavender Brown practised basic Locomotion Charms, by making their pencil-cases race each other around the edge of a table.^[1]

The evening before the exam was uncomfortable. Every fifth year was trying to do last-minute revising, but nobody seemed to be getting very far. All the fifth year boys were lying awake, but no one in the dormitory spoke. None of the fifth-years talked very much at breakfast the next day, either. Parvati was practising incantations under her breath. Hermione was rereading Achievements in Charming so fast that her eyes appeared blurred. Neville Longbottom kept dropping his knife and fork and knocking over the marmalade.^[1]

Students also studied in between exams, practising wand movements and whispering incantations under their breath. Students also went straight to their common rooms after meals and submerged themselves in revision for whatever exams they had the next day.^[1] Ginny Weasley was also forced to study for hours into the night and spend much time within the Hogwarts Library.^[15]

Exams

Most O.W.L.s were divided into written exams and practical exams.^[1] The O.W.L. was comparable to the Muggle «O level» given at the same stage of education (the «O» standing for Ordinary). In 1988, this examination was replaced by the G.C.S.E. in England and Wales and the Standard Certificate level in Scotland, though in recent years the Standard Certificate has been replaced by National 5s in Scotland, but wizards were under no obligation to change their examinations when Muggles did.

Strict measures, such as Anti-Cheating Quills and Anti-Cheating spells, were used to prevent academic dishonesty. Among the examiners were Griselda Marchbanks and Professor Tofty. When a practical examination started, students would be called in alphabetically, by either first or last name.^[1]

Schedule

O.W.L. exams were administered over a period of two successive weeks at the end of fifth year. Most exams were 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.^[1]

1989

The exact days for the O.W.L.s was unknown, but it was known that seven of the O.W.L.s were held in this order.^[16]

1. Potions
2. Charms
3. Transfiguration
4. Herbology
5. Care of Magical Creatures
6. History of Magic
7. Defence Against the Dark Arts

It is unknown when the Astronomy, Divination, Arithmancy, Muggle Studies and Study of Ancient Runes O.W.L.s took place.

1996

First week

Second week

Subject	Time	Exam info
Potions	Monday	«Sure enough, he found the written paper difficult, though he thought he might have got full marks on the question about Polyjuice Potion; he could describe its effects accurately, having taken it illegally in his second year.« — Harry Potter’s Potions written exam[src] Written: Contains a question about Polyjuice Potion (it is noted that the written exam is quite difficult)[1]
«The afternoon practical was not as dreadful as he had expected, it to be. With Snape absent from the proceedings, he found that he was much more relaxed than he usually was while making potions. Neville, who was sitting very near Harry, also looked happier than Harry had ever seen him during a Potions class.« — Potions practical[src] Practical: The making of certain potions, although few details are known.[1]
Care of Magical Creatures	Tuesday	Written: Unknown
«The practical examination took place in the afternoon on the lawn on the edge of the Forbidden Forest… « — 1996 practical exam[src] Practical: Identify a Knarl hidden among a dozen hedgehogs; Demonstrate correct handling of a Bowtruckle; Feed and clean out a Fire crab without sustaining serious burns; Choose from a wide selection of food the diet they would give a sick Unicorn.[1]
Astronomy	Wednesday	«The Astronomy theory paper on Wednesday morning went well enough.« — Harry Potter’s written Astronomy exam[src] Written: Identify all of Jupiter’s moons (among other questions, presumably).[1]
Practical: Look at the telescope and fill in the blank star‐chart with the precise positions of the stars and planets they were observing.[1]
Divination	Wednesday	Written: Unknown; possibly contains questions of describing various methods of divination, mind and concentration techniques and practical theory; it is presumably generally easier than the practical part of the exam.
«He might as well have tried to see moving pictures on the desktop as in the stubbornly blank crystal ball; he lost his head completely during tea-leaf reading, saying it looked to him as though Professor Marchbanks would shortly be meeting a round, dark, soggy stranger, and rounded off the whole fiasco by mixing up the life and head lines on her palm and informing her that she ought to have died the previous Tuesday.« — Harry Potter’s Divination practical[src] Practical: Crystal ball reading, tea-leaf reading, palm-reading.[1]
Arithmancy	Wednesday	Written: Unknown
Practical: Unknown; given the highly theoretical nature of this discipline, its exam may consist solely of a written section. Although it could be that the practical section may consist of application methods and calculations of several magical forces and devices including numbers and numerology.
History of Magic	Thursday	«He was finding it very difficult to remember names and kept confusing dates. He simply skipped question four… thinking that he would go back to it if he had time at the end. He had a stab at question five… but had a nagging suspicion that he had missed several important points; he had a feeling vampires had come into the story somewhere.« — Harry Potter’s History of Magic exam[src] Written: Wand legislation; Goblin riots of the eighteenth century; Statute of Secrecy breach; Formation of the International Confederation of Wizards and explain why the Warlocks of Liechtenstein refused to join.[1]

Unknown

• Muggle Studies – It was not specified when this exam was taken, or what components it included.

O.W.L. scores

If a student failed an O.W.L. and still wished to retake it, they were presumably held back in that class. Professor Severus Snape remarked in 1996 that Vincent Crabbe and Gregory Goyle needed to pass their Defence Against the Dark Arts O.W.L.s, and that he gave them detention for this.^[19]

O.W.L.s achieved

See also

• N.E.W.T.
• W.O.M.B.A.T.

Behind the scenes

• O.W.L.s are comparable to the formerly used Ordinary Levels (known as «O-Levels») that these exams appear to be named after, being taken around the same age and studied for two years before examination.
• In the film adaptations, «O.W.L» is pronounced as an acronym, but in the UK audiobooks every letter is enunciated individually, presumably to avoid ambiguity.
• In their Charms exam, students are called in order by last name, alphabetically. However, Harry Potter and Hannah Abbott are called at the same time for their Transfiguration exam, which may mean Transfiguration O.W.Ls are called in order of first name.
• The only known characters to receive all twelve O.W.L.s are Percy Weasley, Bill Weasley, and Bartemius Crouch Junior. However, in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, it is revealed that attempting this would cause a timetable clash during that year; Minerva McGonagall had to write several letters to the Ministry in order to obtain a Time-Turner for Hermione Granger so that she would be able to attend all her classes when she attempted to take all twelve subjects in her third year (although she ultimately dropped two when she was not able to cope with so many subjects). It is unclear how Percy, Bill, and Barty Crouch Jnr were able to make a similar accomplishment as Hermione’s was the only Time-Turner to ever enter Hogwarts according to J.K. Rowling.^[40] It should be noted that Barty Crouch Jnr obtaining twelve O.W.L.s was mentioned by his father during a bout of insane rambling due to the damage to his mind from fighting the Imperius Curse and could have been a delusional mistake on the part of Bartemius Crouch Senior. On the other hand, all three had parents connected in some way with the Ministry, so this is fairly plausible.
• Harry Potter and his year all begin studying for their O.W.L.S as early as the beginning of fourth year. It is unknown whether this is the case with other years at Hogwarts or if it was a precaution so students didn’t forget their work whilst the Triwizard Tournament was being held.
• In early editions of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Hermione Granger is said to receive eleven O.W.L.s, scoring ten O’s and one E. However, after the events of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Hermione shrunk her class load from twelve subjects to ten, dropping both Divination and Muggle Studies. This was corrected in the Scholastic edition, where Ron instead states the she received nine O’s and one E, giving her a total of ten O.W.L.s.
• It is interesting to note that the passing grades of O.W.L. exams are vowels (A, E, and O), while the failing grades are consonants (P, D, and T).
• In the film version of Half—Blood Prince, many more students are seen studying N.E.W.T. level Potions. Interestingly, both Romilda Vane and Katie Bell are seen in this class, despite the fact that Romilda is a fourth year and Katie is a seventh year.
• In Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery, players can guide Jacob’s sibling to gain at least an A in 7 subjects:
  • Charms
  • Potions
  • Transfiguration
  • Care of Magical Creatures
  • Herbology
  • History of Magic
  • Defence Against the Dark Arts
  • It is likely Jacob’s sibling also got a passing grade in Astronomy and Divination, as these classes are unlocked in Year 6.

Appearances

• Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (First mentioned)
• Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (Mentioned only)
• Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (film) (Mentioned only) (Not Danish)
• Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (Mentioned only)
• Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (First appearance)
• Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (film)
• Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (video game)
• Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (Mentioned only)
• Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (film) (Mentioned only)
• Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (video game) (Mentioned only)
• Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (Appears in flashback(s))
• Harry Potter and the Cursed Child (Mentioned only)
• Harry Potter and the Cursed Child (play) (Mentioned only)
• Pottermore (Mentioned only)
• Wizarding World (Mentioned only)
• Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery
• Harry Potter: Wizards Unite (Mentioned only)
• Hogwarts Legacy (Mentioned only)

Notes and references

             ╭─────────╮

              │   ─────────────

         ‍    │    На связи Аполли-

              │    нария! Сегодня я

              │    бы хотела погово-

              |     рить об экзаменах

              |     и оценках   школы

              |     волшебства и ча-

              |     родейства «Хогвартс».

              |     Ну что же не будем

              |     тянуть Володьку за

              |     нос и начнем!

     ‍   ‍    ‍ │   ───────        

       ‍       ╰ ╶╶╶╶╶╶╶ 🥞

• °. ♡  ”。ೃ

─────────────────────────

જ| На занятиях оценки каждому студенту выставляются по пятибалльной шкале и либо присуждаются, либо отнимаются учителем в случае неудовлетворительного ответа. Каждый балл пополняет или опустошает песочные часы факультета, на котором обучается тот или иной студент. Практически, индивидуальная успеваемость студента отслеживается только им и преподавателем — нигде не упоминаются журналы и сводные табели оценок. Личная успеваемость студента отслеживается только с помощью экзаменов, которые студенты сдают в конце каждого года. Самые ответственные из них — СОВ и ЖАБА. :cookie: ❜

────────────────    

• °. ♡  ”。ೃ

────────────────────────

જ| В конце пятого курса по всем изучаемым предметам устраивается экзамен, называемый СОВ — Супер Отменное Волшебство (так же есть другие переводы этой аббревиатуры: Стандартизированные Отметки Волшебников, Стандарты Обучения Волшебству; в оригинале OWLs — Ordinary Wizarding Levels). На экзаменах СОВ есть следующие оценки. 🥯❜

───────────────

Положительные оценки

•   •      ﹀.﹀.﹀.﹀.﹀.﹀

•   •  ─  O = Outstanding (П = Превосходно).

•   •  ─  E = Exceeds Expectations (В = Выше ожидаемого)

•   •  ─  A = Acceptable (У = Удовлетворительно)

Отрицательные оценки

•   •      ﹀.﹀.﹀.﹀.﹀.﹀

•   •  ─ P = Poor (С = Слабо)

•   •  ─  D = Dreadful (О = Отвратительно)

•   •  ─  T = Troll (Тролль. Эта оценка сначала казалась шуткой Фреда и Джорджа Уизли, но потом оказалась настоящей: она означает, что студент по умственному развитию тупой, как тролль).

• °. ♡  ”。ೃ

────────────────────────

જ|Максимально можно набрать 12 баллов. Экзамен принимают профессора и члены Волшебной экзаменационной комиссии.

Для продолжения занятий по данному предмету необходимо получить оценку не ниже А (Удовлетворительно), хотя некоторые преподаватели требуют Е (Выше ожидаемого) и даже O (Превосходно). Некоторые студенты, получившие низкие оценки, продолжают в последние два года учиться на уровне СОВ. 🧇❜

───────────────

• °. ♡  ”。ೃ

─────────────────────────

જ| После седьмого курса ученики сдают экзамены ЖАБА — Жутко Академическая Блестящая Аттестация (в других переводах ПАУК — Претруднейшая Аттестация Умений Колдуна и ТРИТОН — Типично Решаемый Изнуряющий Тест, в оригинале NEWT — Nastily Exhausting Wizarding Tests). Система оценок на ЖАБА та же, что и на СОВ.

После сдачи ЖАБА выпускники устраиваются на работу. Для многих профессий или должностей в требования к кандидатам входит уровень оценки, полученной по определённым предметам на экзаменах СОВ и ЖАБА. Также для работы мракоборцем или занятию иной специфической деятельностью необходимо пройти специальное обучение и сдать дополнительные тесты и экзамены.🥧❜

────────────────

╭─────────╮

              │   ─────────────

             │ Надеюсь пост был

              │ чем-то полезен! С

              │ вами была Аполлинария!

             │ Всем хорошего настроения! :full_moon_with_face:

             │   ───────        

       ‍       ╰ ╶╶╶╶╶╶╶ 🥞