Nastily Exhausting Wizarding Test

**Terry Boot**: "*You can do a Protean Charm?*"
**Hermione Granger**: "*Yes.*"
**Terry Boot**: "*But that's... that's N.E.W.T. standard, that is.*"
**Hermione Granger**: "*Oh. Oh... well... yes, I suppose it is....*"
— Hermione's ability to perform N.E.W.T.-level magic[src]

A **Nastily Exhausting Wizarding Test** (often abbreviated **N.E.W.T.**) is a subject-specific exam that seventh year witches and wizards at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry take to help them pursue certain careers after their graduation, so passing these exams is critical. For instance, the Ministry of Magic only accepts Auror applicants with at least five N.E.W.T.s with top grades of either 'Outstanding' or 'Exceeds Expectations'.

## Overview

At Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, pupils have to complete the Ordinary Wizarding Level exams before selecting the subjects they want to continue for N.E.W.T. level, which is the highest merit that they can achieve. They pick the subjects at the start of their sixth year, providing they achieved the O.W.L. grades that the teachers want them to have, and providing there is sufficient demand in the case of specialised subjects (such as Alchemy).

They study for their N.E.W.T.s in the sixth and seventh year, before sitting an exam for each subject at the end of the seventh and final year. The exams themselves are incredibly difficult as stated in the name "nastily exhausting". It can be assumed that the studying involved in this exam is just as vigorous or even more so then the O.W.L. exams.

It is vital they achieve a high grade, as many professions will require them. Pupils do not have to sit their N.E.W.T.s if they don't want to, as not all careers in the wizarding world require N.E.W.T.s.

### Advancement

> "*I do not accept students into N.E.W.T. classes unless they have achieved 'Exceeds Expectations' or higher at Ordinary Wizarding Level.*"
> ― Professor McGonagall on the increased difficulty in N.E.W.T.[source]
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A student must have previously achieved an O.W.L. in the subject in order to move on to N.E.W.T.-level classes. More specialised subjects (such as Alchemy) are available with sufficient demand. Most Hogwarts Professors will accept an 'Exceeds Expectations' on the student's O.W.L.s for those classes in order to allow them to advance to N.E.W.T.-level. However, some professors like Severus Snape, would only let students with an 'Outstanding' in their O.W.L. pass through to his Potions N.E.W.T. class, although he did accept students with 'Exceeds Expectations' into his N.E.W.T.-level DADA class during the 1996–1997 school year.

It is unknown what the limit is for how many subjects the pupil may sit at N.E.W.T. level. Hermione Granger was granted seven, while Harry Potter and Ronald Weasley picked five.

### Difficulty of magic

In 1993 and 1994, the difficulty of N.E.W.T.-level magic was mentioned by both Remus Lupin and Hermione Granger. Harry Potter’s ability to conjure a corporeal Patronus (something that is beyond N.E.W.T.-level) in his third year, and Hermione's ability to perform the Protean Charm in her fifth, is magic that is complicated enough that the average wizard is not expected to have to perform it until their N.E.W.T exams.

This makes Harry's ability to produce a Patronus Charm at the age of thirteen and Hermione's ability to cast the Protean Charm at the age of sixteen (and brew the Polyjuice Potion in her second year) exceptional, because they were able to perform magic that is not generally tested until the end of seventh year at Hogwarts.

Nonverbal spells, which are introduced in sixth year, are expected to be used by the students for the rest of their classes from thereon. Due to the strong willpower required to perform such a feat, many students seem to struggle with this portion (at least initially)

## N.E.W.T. scores

> "*They ask for a minimum of five N.E.W.T.s, and nothing under 'Exceeds Expectations' grade, I see.*"
> ― Grading for N.E.W.T.s is the same for O.W.L.s[source]
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If a student fails a N.E.W.T. it is unknown if the student is allowed to retake it, if they wish to. If retaking it is an option, they are either presumably held back in the subject that they failed or just given a second chance at the exam itself. The grading system for N.E.W.T.s is the same for O.W.L.s.

* Exceeds Expectations [E]
* Acceptable [A]
* Dreadful [D]
* Troll [T] (fail with distinction)

### Known leavers

It's the choice of every student whether they want to take their N.E.W.T.s or not, and not everyone will pass. There are many jobs who will accept applicants who only have O.W.L. grades, but it helps to have N.E.W.T.s. and many high profile jobs will prefer them. Every student tries to return for the final two years.

However, Fred and George Weasley, for example, did not bother taking the N.E.W.T.s and left Hogwarts to set up a joke shop. However, it should be noted that the immediate cause of their departure was to mainly to evade the much-despised Professor Umbridge, and not because they simply decided not to achieve them.

 Fred Weasley †
 Newt Scam....
 Rubeus Hagrid | Expelled from Hogwarts in his third year, wrongly accused of opening the Chamber of Secrets that resulted in the death of a girl.