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.