University of Virginia Library

Examinations.

These are of three kinds: first, the daily examinations,
which precede the lectures; second, the public examinations,
two in number, held the one about the middle of the session
the other at its close; and third, the examinations for graduation,
held towards the end of the session.

I.—DAILY EXAMINATIONS.

In the daily examinations the student is questioned both
upon the subject of the preceding lecture and such portions
of the text-book as may have been designated by the Professor.
His preparation thus tested is noted at the time of
examination, and if the student shall exhibit material
delinquency, the fact is communicated to his parent or
guardian in the printed circular which is sent home at the
close of every month.

II.—PUBLIC EXAMINATIONS.

The two public examinations, embracing respectively all
the subjects treated of in the first half, and all those treated
of in the second half of the session, 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 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 prepared, and a
value attached to each, not exceeding that of the corresponding
question. In the schools of languages subjects are
also selected for oral examination, and the value of these
exercises 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 the student at these examinations is communicated
to his parent or guardian in the last circular of the
session.

Those who attain the first division receive in public, at
the close of the session, a printed certificate of their distinction
at one or both of the examinations, as the case may be,
and their names are mentioned in the published account of
the proceedings which terminate the course.

These public examinations, though less thorough than
the examinations for graduation, are sufficiently comprehensive
and difficult to render it impossible for the student,
without steady diligence, to secure a place in the first
division.

III.—EXAMINATIONS FOR GRADUATION.

These are partly oral and partly in writing, and are conducted
by the Professor of the school, in the presence of two
other Professors, forming with him the committee of examination
of the school. Here the student is subjected to
searching interrogations upon the details and niceties, as
well as the leading principles of the subject, and he is expected
to be accurately versed in all the topics treated of in
the lectures and the correlative texts.

As a due acquaintance with our own language is made indispensable
to the attainment of even the inferior honors of the
University, all candidates for degrees are subjected to an
examination, in order to test their qualifications in this
respect.