O.W.L.s and how they're calculated

[Ali]

No: HPFGUIDX 89744

I've just bought "New clues to Harry Potter: Book 5, by Galadriel 
Waters. I confess that I haven't yet really tried to read it all or 
understand it, but my eyes were immediately drawn to what IMO is a 
mistake, or at least an assumption dressed up as a fact.

Whenever I have read OoP, I have always assumed that the DADA is 
made up of two parts, the written exam and the practical exam. 
However, Galadriel Waters states that the 

"Written exam for a class is worth one OWL;and the pratical exam is 
worth one OWL; so, each subject is worth two OWLS" p. 109.

Now, it is possible that this is how they're calculated, but it 
seems unlikely. When Harry has his careers advise with Professor 
McGonagall, McGongagall makes no reference to any difference between 
written and practical, she talks only of the grades that would be 
required for Charms, Transfiguration etc. There is no reference to 
the different exams being awarded different O.W.Ls. I agree that my 
evidence isn't conclusive, but given that Muggle exams are made up 
of written and practical exams - where appropriate - I'm not 
entirely sure why the Wizard exams are going to follow a different 
route.

I am still unsure how Barty Crouch Junior could have got 12 O.W.L.s, 
and a possible explanation is awarding 2 grades per subject. But, 
then 12 O.W.L.s would not be such a terrific achievement:

Possible subjects:

Divination
DADA x 2
Charms x 2
Transfiguration x 2
CoMC x 2
History of Magic
Muggle Studies
Runes
Arithmancy
Astrononomy x 2
Potions x 2
Herbology

(Apologies if I've forgotten any)

The subjects I've multiplied are the subjects which seem to have 2 
separate parts. That would mean Harry could theoretically achieve 15 
O.W.L.s, 3 more than both Bill and Barty Crouch Junior.

Unfortunately, the alternative isn't very satisfactory either. How 
could Crouch have achieved 12 O.W.Ls if there were only 12 subjects, 
and Hermione was only able to take them with the aid of a time 
turner? Unless, the time turner had been given to previous 
exceptional students? One final alternative is that certain 
exceptional students get to take extra papers in say Potions, so 
that they're awarded 2 O.W.Ls. This used to happen with Maths 
O'levels in the UK - but the standard Maths paper was taken in the 
previous year. Certain there is no evidence to suggest that this 
system was in use.

I have another quibble with Galadriel Waters and O.W.Ls, but really 
this is just over cultural interpretation so I'm just being fussy:

"You can pass with an "Acceptable" or you can pass with 
honors "Outstanding".

Whilst I guess this must be an attempt to translate the marks into a 
different exam system, it neatly misses out "Exceeds expectations" 
(to be fair, this is mentioned earlier, but no attempt is made to 
translate what it means). I'm not sure you can equate these marks 
into pass and honours, unless you also find a direct equivalent for 
Exceeds expectations.

I haven't read the rest of the book yet, but am hopeful that there 
won't be any other "facts" that seem open to question.

Ali

(Who's decided that Snape will lose his head - hence Severed Nape).