Nastily Exhausting Wizarding Tests

• Type: Advanced magical examinations
• Owners: Ministry of Magic
• Maker: The Wizarding Examinations Authority, which creates, oversees, and grades the exams.

The Nastily Exhausting Wizarding Tests, commonly known by the acronym N.E.W.T.s, are subject-specific examinations taken by students at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry at the end of their seventh and final year of study. They represent the highest level of qualification offered at the school and are essential for entry into many skilled wizarding professions. The name is a direct parallel to the fifth-year exams, Ordinary Wizarding Levels (O.W.L.s), with a newt being a small amphibian. To be eligible for a N.E.W.T.-level class, a student must first achieve a sufficiently high grade in the corresponding O.W.L. exam. This requirement varies by subject and professor. For example, Professor Snape demanded an 'Outstanding' O.W.L. in Potions to continue to his N.E.W.T. class, whereas his successor, Professor Slughorn, accepted students with 'Exceeds Expectations'. The exams consist of both written theory papers and practical assessments where students must demonstrate their mastery of advanced magic. The grading system is as follows:

• Pass Grades:
  1. Outstanding (O)
  2. Exceeds Expectations (E)
  3. Acceptable (A)
• Failing Grades:
  1. Poor (P)
  2. Dreadful (D)
  3. Troll (T)

The primary purpose of N.E.W.T.s is to certify a witch or wizard's expertise in a chosen field, serving as the main qualification for post-Hogwarts employment. The number and quality of a student's N.E.W.T.s largely determine their career options. For instance, the Ministry of Magic requires a minimum of five N.E.W.T.s, with grades no lower than 'Exceeds Expectations', for anyone wishing to train as an Auror. The magical “property” of the N.E.W.T. curriculum is its extreme difficulty. The coursework in the sixth and seventh years involves highly advanced and complex magic. For instance, N.E.W.T.-level Defence Against the Dark Arts and Transfiguration students are expected to practice non-verbal spell casting. The workload is immense, requiring intense dedication and study from the students who undertake these advanced courses.

The N.E.W.T.s are an established part of the Hogwarts curriculum long before Harry Potter's time. In Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, students undergo career consultations with their Head of House to select the appropriate O.W.L. subjects that will lead to their desired N.E.W.T. courses. A key scene in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince involves Professor McGonagall advising Harry on his N.E.W.T. choices to help him achieve his ambition of becoming an Auror. He, along with Ron Weasley, selects Charms, Defence Against the Dark Arts, Herbology, Potions, and Transfiguration. Hermione Granger takes these five subjects as well as Arithmancy and Ancient Runes. Due to the outbreak of the Second Wizarding War and their hunt for Voldemort's Horcruxes, Harry, Ron, and Hermione did not complete their seventh year at Hogwarts and therefore did not sit for their N.E.W.T.s at the scheduled time.

Throughout the latter half of the series, N.E.W.T.s represent the looming transition from adolescence to adulthood. They serve as a constant, underlying source of academic pressure in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, grounding the characters in a semblance of normal school life even as the threat of Voldemort grows. The N.E.W.T. requirements directly influence the plot. Harry's need for an 'Outstanding' in O.W.L. Potions to pursue his Auror ambitions initially seems to bar him from the N.E.W.T. class. However, Professor Slughorn's more lenient entry requirements allow Harry to join, which leads him to discover the textbook of the Half-Blood Prince. This book and Slughorn's presence are central to the book's main plot. Ultimately, the trio's decision to abandon their N.E.W.T. year underscores the gravity of their mission. They choose to prioritize the fight against evil over their formal education and future careers, signifying their complete commitment to the war effort and their final departure from the innocence of school life.

• The O.W.L. and N.E.W.T. system is a magical parallel to the UK's former O-Level (Ordinary Level) and A-Level (Advanced Level) secondary school examinations.
• J.K. Rowling has stated in interviews that Hermione Granger returned to Hogwarts after the Battle of Hogwarts to complete her seventh year and take her N.E.W.T.s. Harry Potter and Ron Weasley, however, did not. They were recruited directly into the Auror Office by the new Minister for Magic, Kingsley Shacklebolt, who valued their real-world experience in fighting the Dark Arts (J.K. Rowling interview).