University of Virginia Library

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 compared, 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
values 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.