I was just wanting to make sure–is it possible to for us pass courses while still, somehow, failing their exams?
It depends on how the individual course is graded.
For example, one of my classes is graded like this:
Homework - 25%
Higher Midterm Score - 25%
Lower Midterm Score - 20%
Final Exam - 30%
The highest F grade is 59%. If you got 59% on all the exams and 100% on the homework, your final grade would be 69.25%, which is a D and (sort of) passing.
Some classes have policies that say you’re not allowed to pass the class unless you get a certain score on the final, regardless of your grades on other assignments.
Yes. You most likely will have to get very high Fs on the exams - like 59%, not 20%. If there are other graded categories than tests, you can pass those and possibly still pass.
If you test is curved or the professor grades the course on a curve, passing the course, but not passing tests may be possible.
Professor to professor, test vs homework grading can be very different. I have known professors who ONLY grade on exams, and don’t even give homework, and those who grade almost entirely on homework and exams are only worth 25 percent or less. And everything in between. Check your syllabus, it should include a grading chart. It will tell you your chances of passing with failing exams.
Yes it is possible - particularly in upper division humanities and social science courses where essays and research projects may account for far more of the grade than the midterm and final.
I got a 20% on a final and still passed the class (the average was around 40% with 20% standard deviation). Depends on the class.
It’s definitely possible to pass with a failing grade on tests in certain cases.
As others have pointed out, if tests aren’t worth a large portion of your final grade, or if the class has a large curve, it is possible. It also possible to fail a test or two, as long as you do well on the remaining tests. You coukd also get test grades in the 50’s but balance them out with high grades in other categories.
So yes, there are circumstances where it is possible. For instance, I got a 46% on my first calculus test - but I got A’s and B’s on the rest so I passed. In Diff Eq, I got an average of 50 on all 4 tests, but my quizzes and homework were higher so I passed. But, just because it’s possible doesn’t mean it is likely or easy…
I got a D- (not failing, but pretty close) on a non-curved final exam last semester (oops) but still got a B in the class because I had done well on everything else up until that point.
- Look in your syllabus to see how homework and tests are weighted in the final grade.
- Go to your professor and ask about ideas for studying and about the material
- Get a tutor
- Form a study group
- REad the chapters/do the homework
- WIthdraw if it makes sense…but talk to your advisor first
It’s going to vary from course to course. Some courses will be based solely on the overall average of your grades. Some will require that students get a grade of C or better on the final, in addition to having an overall passing grade. Some professors will even boost your grade up a bit.
For whatever it’s worth, I’ve had classes where I could have literally skipped the final exam and still passed the class with an A or B. I’ve never actually done this, but I could have.