Nastily Exhausting Wizarding Test (N.E.W.T.)

• Type: Advanced magical examination; academic qualification
• Owners: While not an object to be owned, N.E.W.T.s are administered by the Wizarding Examinations Authority on behalf of the Ministry of Magic. They are taken by seventh-year students at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
• Maker: The examinations are set and governed by the Ministry of Magic's Department of Magical Education and the Wizarding Examinations Authority.

A Nastily Exhausting Wizarding Test, commonly known by its acronym N.E.W.T., is the highest level of subject-specific examination a witch or wizard can take at Hogwarts. The “appearance” of the exam is not of a single object, but a series of rigorous tests taken at the end of a student's seventh and final year. Each subject's N.E.W.T. consists of at least two parts:

• A written theory paper, requiring deep and nuanced understanding of the subject matter.
• A practical examination, where students must perform advanced magic under the watchful eye of an examiner from the Wizarding Examinations Authority.

These exams are famously difficult, a fact reflected in their full name, which was coined by students and later confirmed by Fred Weasley and George Weasley.

The primary purpose of N.E.W.T.s is to serve as a high-level qualification for entry into specialized magical professions. Most skilled careers in the wizarding world require a certain number of N.E.W.T.s in relevant subjects. For example, the Ministry of Magic requires a minimum of five N.E.W.T.s with top grades of 'Outstanding' or 'Exceeds Expectations' for its Auror training program. Prerequisites: To be eligible to take a N.E.W.T.-level class (and the subsequent exam), a student must first achieve a sufficiently high grade in that subject's O.W.L. (Ordinary Wizarding Level) exam. The required grade is set by the professor of each subject.

• Professor McGonagall required at least an 'Exceeds Expectations' in Transfiguration O.W.L. to continue to N.E.W.T. level.
• Professor Snape infamously required a top grade of 'Outstanding' in Potions O.W.L..
• When Professor Slughorn took over as Potions Master, he lowered the requirement to 'Exceeds Expectations', allowing Harry Potter and Ron Weasley to join the class.

Grading System: The grading for N.E.W.T.s is the same as for O.W.L.s:

• Pass Grades:
  • O = Outstanding
  • E = Exceeds Expectations
  • A = Acceptable
• Fail Grades:
  • P = Poor
  • D = Dreadful
  • T = Troll

N.E.W.T.s have long been the culminating academic challenge of a Hogwarts education, serving as the gateway to a professional wizarding life. The results are a significant measure of a young witch or wizard's magical ability and discipline. Several characters are noted for their exceptional N.E.W.T. performance:

• Percy Weasley achieved twelve N.E.W.T.s, a source of immense pride for him and his family.
• Bill Weasley also earned twelve N.E.W.T.s.
• Bartemius Crouch Jr. was another high-achiever, earning twelve N.E.W.T.s before his fall from grace.

The exams are overseen by elderly and experienced members of the Wizarding Examinations Authority, such as Griselda Marchbanks and Professor Tofty, who travel to Hogwarts to conduct the practical assessments.

The prospect of N.E.W.T.s heavily influences the academic lives of the main characters from their fifth year onwards. In Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, students attend career consultations with their Heads of House to choose the subjects they will pursue to N.E.W.T. level, highlighting the academic pressure and future-planning required. In Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, and Hermione Granger begin their N.E.W.T.-level classes. The difficulty is immediately apparent, with lessons involving complex topics like non-verbal spells in Defence Against the Dark Arts and Charms. Harry's unexpected entry into advanced Potions is a central plot point, as it leads him to acquire the textbook of the Half-Blood Prince. Ultimately, Harry, Ron, and Hermione abandon their seventh year at Hogwarts to hunt for Lord Voldemort's Horcruxes during the Second Wizarding War and therefore do not sit for their N.E.W.T.s with their classmates. This decision marks their final transition from students to active participants in the war.

• Etymology: The acronym N.E.W.T. is a pun, as a newt is a type of small salamander, an amphibian often associated with witchcraft and potion-making. This follows the same pattern as the O.W.L. exams.
• Real-World Parallel: N.E.W.T.s are the magical equivalent of the UK's non-compulsory post-16 qualifications, A-Levels (Advanced Levels), which students take to gain entry into university and specialized professions (J.K. Rowling interview).
• Post-Series Information: J.K. Rowling has stated in interviews that Hermione Granger returned to Hogwarts after the war to complete her seventh year and take her N.E.W.T.s. Harry Potter and Ron Weasley did not, but were recruited directly into the Auror office by Kingsley Shacklebolt on the basis of their experience and accomplishments in defeating Lord Voldemort (J.K. Rowling interview), (Pottermore).