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The Fountain of Magical Brethren
O.W.L.s (Ordinary Wizarding Levels) and N.E.W.T.s (Nastily Exhausting Wizarding Tests) are administered in the fifth and seventh years to Hogwarts students, and a student's grade on those tests determines what jobs students can apply for and hold as adults. The tests’ existence encapsulates the Ministry's vision of what a good, proper future looks like for students: no matter what particular job a student chooses, it's one that's Ministry-approved. However, several characters, including Fred, George, and Harry, show through their actions that these standardized tests are only one way to measure success and in actuality, they don't reveal anything especially useful about students. Despite Fred and George's three passing O.W.L.s each, they still manage to develop compelling joke products and open a shop, proof that while school itself was useful for them, the tests were entirely useless. Harry, though he's a middling student, is also very successful fighting Voldemort in the real world despite not even having scores yet. Through Fred, George, and Harry's experiences, the novel suggests that the O.W.L.s and N.E.W.T.s actually represent the closed-mindedness of the Ministry, its desire to control the population by dictating young people's futures, and its unwillingness to look at people as multifaceted individuals.
O.W.L.s and N.E.W.T.s Quotes in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
The Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix quotes below all refer to the symbol of O.W.L.s and N.E.W.T.s. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
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Chapter Seventeen Quotes
"You know, I don't get why Fred and George only got three O.W.L.s each," said Harry, watching as Fred, George, and Lee collected gold from the eager crowd. "They really know their stuff..."
Related Characters:
Harry Potter (speaker), Fred Weasley, George Weasley, Percy Weasley
Related Symbols:
O.W.L.s and N.E.W.T.s
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
368
Explanation and Analysis:
In the common room one night, Harry watches Fred and George demonstrate their Puking Pastilles (one of their joke candies) and remarks that judging by what they're able to produce in terms of magical joke products, they know more about magic than their three passing O.W.L. scores would let on. This shows that Harry is beginning to suspect that O.W.L.s aren't the only ticket into the adult Wizarding world; Fred and George are clearly doing well for themselves even without high test scores.
This also opens up the possibility that O.W.L.s and N.E.W.T.s are poor ways to measure students' success in the first place. Though Percy Weasley did well on his O.W.L.s and presumably aced his N.E.W.T. exams as well, he's currently putting his test scores to work discrediting Harry and inadvertently helping Voldemort return to power. All of this suggests that more important than learning the material is actually what else students learn at school, including social skills, critical thinking skills, and in Fred and George's case, the ability to understand what students want from a joke shop intent on getting them out of boring classes.
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"My students can't get enough of your charts and their results have gone through the roof." -Graham S.
O.W.L.s and N.E.W.T.s Symbol Timeline in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
The timeline below shows where the symbol O.W.L.s and N.E.W.T.s appears in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter Twelve
...advertise for testers in the common room, but the twins insist that with it being O.W.L. year, Hermione will soon want a Snackbox for herself. They reminisce about the breakdowns their...
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...reminds the class that he expects them all to achieve "Acceptable" results in their Potions O.W.L. He glares at Harry and says that most students won't continue on to the N.E.W.T....
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...out his temper on them. Trelawney welcomes the class before Harry can reply. She mentions O.W.L.s, but says that grades don't matter for the "sacred art." The students work on interpreting...
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Chapter Thirteen
...and Hermione furiously cries that Dumbledore can't possibly expect Umbridge to teach them in their O.W.L. year. Ron reminds Hermione that Umbridge also wants students to spy for her, and they...
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The next morning, both Flitwick and McGonagall also start their classes by talking about O.W.L.s. McGonagall insists that even Neville can do well in Transfiguration if he studies and builds...
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Chapter Fifteen
...and it's at least the right color. At lunch, Hermione, Fred, and George discuss the O.W.L. grading system. The lowest grade is (according to the twins) T for "Troll," and Harry...
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Chapter Sixteen
...their Defense Against the Dark Arts education into their own hands, both to pass their O.W.L.s and because Voldemort is back. Zacharias Smith, a Hufflepuff Quidditch player, asks Hermione for proof,...
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Chapter Seventeen
...the Puking Pastilles. Harry can't figure out how Fred and George each only got three O.W.L.s, since they're clearly knowledgeable and making money.
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Chapter Twenty-Seven
The fifth years begin suffering from O.W.L. stress and the only thing that makes Harry happy are D.A. meetings. He introduces Patronuses...
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Chapter Twenty-Eight
...Harry locates teenage Snape and sees that he's taking his Defense Against the Dark Arts O.W.L. Harry also finds James, Sirius, Lupin, and Wormtail. James and Sirius are extremely handsome.
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Chapter Twenty-Nine
...she can give career counseling, along with pamphlets discussing possible jobs. Several jobs require high N.E.W.T. scores in a number of subjects.
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...he'd like to be an Auror. McGonagall tells Harry what he needs in terms of O.W.L.s and N.E.W.T.s, including continuing with Potions, and ignores Umbridge's coughs. Umbridge finally interrupts and says...
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Chapter Thirty
...too curious about the room to try to stop the dreams. Unfortunately for Harry, with O.W.L.s approaching, he often dreams about exams.
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Chapter Thirty-One
...next few days, professors stop assigning homework so the fifth years can study for their O.W.L.s, and several students begin acting strangely. Ernie interrogates people about how many hours per day...
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Their first O.W.L. is Charms. In the morning, the students file into the Great Hall and take the...
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...and Umbridge won't care that Hagrid has an alibi. On Monday, they take their Potions O.W.L., and though Harry finds it difficult, both he and Neville do well in the practical...
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The practical Astronomy O.W.L. is that evening on the Astronomy Tower. The students set up their telescopes and begin...
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