 | Catalogue of the University of Virginia |  |
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 examination 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 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
method: The numerical values attached to all the questions are
added together, and also the values of the answers given by each
student. If the 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 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, 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
announced in the proceedings which terminate the course.
These public examinations are sufficiently comprehensive and
difficult to render it impossible for the student, without steady
diligence, to secure a place in the first division.
In some of the schools other examinations are substituted, in
accordance with the peculiar character of the studies pursued.
III.—EXAMINATION 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 tent
their qualifications in this respect.
| Catalogue of the University of Virginia | |