OWL EXAM CACULATIONS

[potioncat]

No: HPFGUIDX 97760

Luckie wrote:
> 
> The only problem I see with a bell curve is that if Snape has a 
high 
> pass rate, that would mean most of the students do well on his 
> Potions exam. In my AP classes, the bell cruve was distributed 
across 
> the country, so it was possible for there to be a high pass rate in 
> my class. But with a curve, in theory only about 5% would get an O, 
> 10% would get an E, and so on. If the Hogwarts Students are the 
only 
> students taking this exam, then only 5% of Harry's class will be 
able 
> to get an O.
> 


Potioncat:
Actually you brought up a good point, this is much too small a group 
to apply a bell curve to.  Particularly since we know at least one 
class has a high "pass" rate.  At any rate, these NEWT classes must  
be tiny! Although I guess those who need to be there for the plot 
will somehow make it.

The test is standardized and it's very possible that both Snape and 
McGonagall have set higher standards than the test has.  And that may 
be to keep the NEWT level classes small.

Potioncat (who is embarrassed to see a glaring typo in her subject 
heading about education.)