University of Virginia Library

EXAMINATIONS.

There are two public examinations of all the students each session, the one
at such convenient time about the middle of the session, as the Faculty shall
appoint; the other at the close of the session.

These are thus conducted: The Professor of the School prepares, in writing,
a series of questions to be proposed to the class, and affixes to them numerical
values, according to his estimate of their relative difficulty. On the
assembling of the class for examination, these questions are for the first time
presented to them; and they are required to answer them in writing, in a prescribed
time, without communication with one another or with other persons,
and without any reference to books. Their answers are subsequently carefully
examined and compared, and a value attached to each, not exceeding that of
the corresponding question. In the schools of languages, subjects may also
be selected for oral examination, and the values of these exercises are marked
at the time.

The students are then arranged into four divisions, according to the merit of
their examination, as determined by the following method. The numerical
values attached to all the questions are added together, and also the values of
the answers given by each student. If this last number amounts to three-fourths
of the first, the student is ranked in the first division; if it be less than
three-fourths, and as much as one-half, in the second; if less than one-half, and
as much as a fourth, in the third; if less than a fourth, in the fourth division.
The examinations are conducted and the results ascertained by a committee,
consisting of the Professor of the school and two other Professors.

The standing of each student at the examinations is communicated to his
parent or guardian; and the names of those who are in the first division are
announced on the public day, at the close of the session, and published in one
or more of the newspapers of the state.