University of Virginia Library

EXAMINATIONS.

These are of three kinds; first, the daily examinations, which
precede or alternate with 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.

DAILY EXAMINATIONS.

In the daily examinations the student is questioned both upon the
subjects 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 numerically at the time of examination, and
the mean of these numbers, indicating his average standing in each
class, is communicated to his parent or guardian in the printed
circular which is sent home at the close of every month.

The literary value attached to the numbers thus used is seen in
the following table:

           

5	signifies very well prepared.
4	signifies well prepared.
3	signifies tolerably prepared.
2	signifies badly prepared.
1	signifies very badly prepared.
0	signifies entirely unprepared.

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 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 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.

EXAMINATIONS FOR GRADUATION.

These are partly oral and partly in writing, and are conducted
by the Professor of the Department, in the presence of two other
Professors, forming with him the committee of examination for 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 honours of the University,
all candidates for degrees are subjected to an examination, in order
to test their qualifications in this respect. At this, which is called
the English Examination, and is held near the close of the session,
the student is called upon to correct in writing numerous errors in
spelling, grammar, and punctuation, and is required to prepare at
the time a short composition on some appointed theme.