Ordinary Wizarding Level

## Ordinary Wizarding Levels

"*What you must remember, is that these examinations may influence your futures for many years to come! If you have not already given serious thought to your careers, now is the time to do so. And in the meantime, I'm afraid, we shall be working harder than ever to ensure that you all do yourselves justice!*"
— The importance of O.W.L. exams

An **Ordinary Wizarding Level** (often abbreviated **O.W.L.**) was a standardised subject-specific test taken during Hogwarts students' fifth year. These exams were administrated by the Wizarding Examinations Authority and had been around since the late 1800s.

The score made by a student on a particular O.W.L. determined whether or not students would be able to continue taking the subject in subsequent school years. Exam scores also determined what type of job a student could have once graduating Hogwarts.

As well as referring to the test that students took in their fifth year, the term "*O.W.L.*" also referred to the type of class, i.e. the level of difficulty the class the student is taking. In addition, "*achieving an O.W.L.*" was used to refer to a class in which the student had passed their O.W.L. exam (example: Harry Potter received an O.W.L. in Transfiguration by attaining a a passing grade on the O.W.L. exam for that class).

## Importance

"*O.W.L.s are really important, affect the jobs you can apply for and everything.*"
— O.W.L.s' effect on the future

Due to the serious and important nature of the tests, preparation for both O.W.L.s and N.E.W.T.s was very hard work. Students would generally begin preparing for their O.W.L.s in their fourth year, in order to take them at the end of their fifth. The pressure was enough to make certain students (such as Hannah Abbott) have a panic attack, and it was necessary to give them a Calming Draught to lower their anxiety.

These examinations in sort determined what type of career students would be able to obtain once their education had been completed. Some careers required certain subjects to be taken at N.E.W.T.-level and with a passing grade or in some cases top grades. In order to be admitted into a class at N.E.W.T. level, a student first had to achieve an "Outstanding" or "Exceeds Expectations" at O.W.L.-level in order to cope with the upcoming course work, which would be much more advanced. Minerva McGonagall would not let Neville Longbottom into her N.E.W.T. Transfiguration class, because he did not achieve a high enough grade, which meant that Neville would have not had the skills or knowledge in that field to reasonably keep up with the significantly more challenging coursework.

Successfully completing the O.W.L.s was a sign that the student was trustworthy enough to be a law-abiding citizen who could learn from their mistakes. Thus, any such students who were expelled would be permitted to keep their wands and continue to practice magic, though this would be a sign of disgrace forever tainting their permanent record, as Newton Scamander underwent.

### Cheating

"*Now, I must warn you that the most stringent Anti-Cheating Charms have been applied to your examination papers.*"
— The exams are charmed to prevent cheating

Cheating was also both highly tempting for the students and highly guarded against by the exam givers. Anti-Cheating Spells were applied to all O.W.L. exam papers. Auto-Answer Quills, Remembralls, Detachable Cribbing Cuffs, and Self-Correcting Ink were all banned from the examination hall as well. Despite this, at least one student attempted to cheat every year, though none known were successful since the year 1896.

### Study

"*Ginny's O.W.L.s were approaching and she was therefore forced to study for hours into the night.*"
— A typical O.W.L. study routine

Students such as Ernie Macmillan studied eight or nine hours a day in order to ensure good results. The day before exams, fifth year students in Gryffindor spent the entire day reviewing subject content that could appear in their exams. Harry Potter quizzed Hermione Granger by asking her question from the book *Achievements in Charming*. Hermione became so agitated that she accidentally hit Harry in the nose with the sharp corner of the book, after having snatched it back in order to check her answers.

Ron Weasley spent his time reading two years' worth of Charms notes with his fingers in his ears, his lips moving soundlessly. Felicity Black read over every essay she had ever written, scowling. Seamus Finnigan laid flat on his back on the floor, reciting the definition of a Substantive Charm while Dean Thomas checked it against *The Standard Book of Spells, Grade 5*. Parvati Patil and Lavender Brown practiced basic Locomotion Charms, by making their pencil-cases race each other around the edge of a table.

The evening before the exam was uncomfortable. Every fifth year was trying to do last-minute revising, but nobody seemed to be getting very far. All the fifth year boys were lying awake, but no one in the dormitory spoke. None of the fifth-years talking very much at breakfast the next day, either. Parvati was practising incantations under her breath. Hermione was rereading *Achievements in Charming* so fast that her eyes appeared blurred. Neville Longbottom kept dropping his knife and fork and knocking over the marmalade.

Students also studied in between exams, practicing wand movements and whispering incantations under their breath. Students also went straight to their common rooms after meals and submerged themselves in revision for whatever exams they had the next day. Ginny Weasley was also forced to study for hours into the night and spend much time within the Hogwarts Library.

## Exams

"*I think it appropriate to remind you that next June you will be sitting an important examination, during which you will prove how much you have learned about the composition and use of magical potions. Moronic though some of this class undoubtedly are, I expect you to scrape an 'Acceptable' in your O.W.L., or suffer my... displeasure.*"
— Professor Snape regarding the potions exam

Most O.W.L.s were divided into written exams and practical exams. The O.W.L. was comparable to the Muggle "O level" given at the same stage of education (the "O" standing for Ordinary). In 1988, this examination was replaced by the G.C.S.E. in England and Wales and the Standard Certificate Level in Scotland, though in recent years the Standard Certificate has been replaced by National 5s in Scotland, but wizards were under no obligation to change their examinations when Muggles did.

Strict measures, such as Anti-Cheating Quills and Anti-Cheating Spells, were used to prevent academic dishonesty. Among the examiners were Griselda Marchbanks and Professor Tofty. When a practical examination started, students would be called in alphabetically, by either first or last name.

### Schedule

O.W.L. exams were administered over a period of two successive weeks at the end of fifth year. Most exams were divided into two parts: students will sit the theory portion in the morning and the practical portion in the afternoon, with the exception of the Astronomy practical exam, which occurs at night.

#### 1989

The exact daysfor the O.W.L.s was unknown, but it was known that seven of the O.W.L.s were held in this order.

1. Potions
2. Charms
3. Transfiguration
4. Herbology
5. Care of Magical Creatures
6. History of Magic
7. Defence Against the Dark Arts

It is unknown when the Astronomy, Divination, Arithmancy, Muggle Studies and Study of Ancient Runes O.W.L.s took place.

#### 1996

##### First Week

"*Well, it wasn't too bad, was it?... I'm not sure I did myself justice on Cheering Charms, I just ran out of time. Did you put in the counter-charm for hiccoughs?*"
— Hermione Granger regarding the written portion
"*On the whole, Harry thought it went rather well. His Levitation Charm was certainly much better than Malfoy's had been, though he wished he had not mixed up the incantations for Colour Change and Growth Charms, so that the rat he was supposed to be turning orange swelled shockingly and was the size of a badger before Harry could rectify his mistake...*"
— Charms practical
 Transfiguration | Tuesday
"*He forgot the definition of a Switching Spell during his written paper next morning but thought his practical could have been a lot worse.*"
— Harry Potter's Transformation written exam
"*At least he managed to Vanish the whole of his iguana, whereas poor Hannah Abbott lost her head completely at the next table and somehow managed to multiply her ferret into a flock of flamingos, causing the examination to be halted for ten minutes; while the birds were captured and carried out of the Hall.*"
— Transfiguration practical

"*They had their Herbology exam on Wednesday (other than a small bite from a Fanged Geranium, Harry felt he had done reasonably well)*"
— Herbology practical
 Defence Against the Dark Arts | Thursday
"*Here, for the first time, Harry felt sure he had passed. He had no problem with any of the written questions...*"
— DADA written exam
"*... took particular pleasure, during the practical examination, in performing all the counter-jinxes and defensive spells right in front of Umbridge, who was watching coolly from near the doors into the Entrance Hall.*"
— Harry Potter's DADA practical exam
 Ancient Runes | Friday
"*I mistranslated ehwaz... it means partnership, not defence; I mixed it up with eihwaz.*"
— Two translations from the Ancient Runes O.W.L.
 Practical: Unknown; given the highly theoretical nature of this discipline, its exam may consist solely of a written section. Although it could be that the practical section may consist of oral and reporting parts and recognising certain Runes with the naked eye.

##### Unknown

* Muggle Studies - it was not specified when this exam was taken, or what components it included

## O.W.L. Scores

If a student failed an O.W.L. and still wished to retake it, they were presumably held back in that class. Professor Severus Snape remarked in 1996 that Vincent Crabbe and Gregory Goyle needed to pass their Defence Against the Dark Arts O.W.L.s, and that he gave them detention for this.

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