O.W.L. exams

[ffimiles]

No: HPFGUIDX 84287

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "erinellii" <erinellii at y...> 
wrote:
>  "Kim"  wrote:
> > In OotP, Chapter 28 ("Snape's Worse Memory"), US edition page 643,
> > Harry sees in the pensieve that James and Snape have both kept 
their
> > examination papers after Professor Flitwick collected their exams
> > themselves:
> 
> > In my experience here in the U.S., after an examination of such 
> great importance, we students would have to turn in the questions 
as 
> well as our answers.  Why wasn't this the case with the above O.W.L.
>  examination?   Wouldn't anyone be concerned that students such as 
> Fred and George Weasley, for example, would sell their exam 
questions 
> to students of the following years?   Or are the questions asked 
each
> > year so wildly different from each other that there is no 
> possibility that last year's questions would help?
> 
> 
> 
> Erin:  
> Think of them as S.A.T.s.  Every year in RL they actually publish 
> study aid books which are made up of previous S.A.T. tests.  The 
> questions on the next year's tests don't have to be wildly 
different, 
> either.  Knowing in advance the basic material that is going to be 
on 
> a test isn't cheating.  Now if a student actually brought on of 
these 
> sheets with answers on it into the testing room, that would be 
> cheating.  But just using them to study by is not.
> 
> I suspect you're thinking of "regular" tests in high school or 
> college.  For these, teachers often will use the same test papers 
> year after year, and so it is forbidden to take the question paper 
> out with you.  
> 
> Erin

Just a quick note - we are allowed to take exam papers out with us 
from exams in the UK - or at least, we were 10 years ago!  We were 
allowed to do this at University level as well and rpevious papers 
were certainly available for revision.
Ffi