University Academy students take critical tests for nearly every class at the end of each quarter.
For the first and third quarters, these are midterms, and for the second and fourth quarters, these are the finals.
Since these tests are 30% of the students’ entire grade for each class, the system of taking them must be as accessible and fair as possible.
However, it must also be balanced with UA’s high standards when it comes to academics.
Last year, the target score was 70%, and students who met or surpassed that percentage on the first attempt did not have to retake the exam.
However, this year, that percentage has been raised to 80%.
Students are only allowed to attempt the tests twice.
If the test is taken more than once, the scores are averaged together, which also applies for students who choose to take the second attempt even after passing the first.
For finals, there is only one attempt.
Regarding this target score, “it’s what we believe all of our students should aim for, but it is a goal,” said Ms. Mallory Skinner, one of UA’s upper school mathematics teachers who recently administered midterms.
She added the reminder that 60% is a passing grade, but she said staff is pushing students toward the 80% because they want high academic achievement.
At the end of the first quarter, students took their first midterms for the 2024-25 school year, and students’ attitudes changed around that time.
Junior Haley Hughes said, “People get stressed, overwhelmed and lock in more. You’ll notice people more focused or more worried about [the midterms].”
With students stressed out about the midterms, having time to relax is essential for mental health.
This sometimes might be overshadowed by the need to study or cram before important tests.
Finding good times to study is as crucial as getting a good night’s sleep to withstand the two-hour-long testing periods.
When it comes to studying for the first attempt, there might not be enough dedicated time at school for students to prepare, forcing them to, at times, rely on the second attempt to pass the midterms.
Hughes said, “I feel like teachers do all they need to properly prepare us, but maybe give us more time on studying? Like more days. We could start studying the week before the actual week of midterms.”
Worked into the Upper School’s midterm schedule is a review period that takes place for every class sometime after the first attempt of the midterm that focuses on preparing for the second attempt.
These are often on the same days as other actual midterm tests, and the review periods are shorter than testing periods. Many teachers, like Ms. Skinner, use the first attempt during this review period to help students prepare.
Ms. Skinner said, “I know for my class I think that doing corrections on your first attempt is the best way to study.”
Even for classes that don’t directly use the first attempt during the review period, it’s still a 50-minute period where students are in the classroom with that teacher.
Not only is it an excellent time to study, taking off some of that home workload, it is also a great time to ask questions.
Next up for students will be finals on Dec. 18-20.
“All I can ask of you is that you do the very best you can,” Ms. Skinner said, “and if that’s 80% or higher, that’s great, and if that doesn’t quite mean 80% but you’re still doing everything you can, then that’s awesome.”
