Final exceptions are a very anticipated part of many students’ senior year. For many, it will allow them to start their summer break early.
To be eligible for a final exemption they need to be a senior who has either a 82.5% percent in a class with a 95% attendance rate or a 92.5% grade in the class, or are taking a corresponding AP or IB test for the class.
“Assuming I get an A in my Spanish class I will be exempt from all of my finals,” senior Matthew Mahoney said.
For many students, they strive to have a high enough grade in all their classes to not take any finals.
“I think that it encourages students to work hard and show up to school and do their best every single day in order to get that reward of a final exemption,” Latin teacher Brittnay Haworth said.
Some students believe that the final exam exemption requirements are not fair and should be more accessible.
“I think that it is rewarding because you want people to be rewarded but some classes are too challenging to get a high enough grade,” Mahoney said.
There is some discussion about if underclassmen should be allowed to take part in final exemptions.
“I think that under classmen should be allowed to have final exemptions, especially if they are an AP student. I feel like it is unfair that I have to study for two different types of final exams,” sophomore Dane Witte said.
Students in any grade have the option to take AP classes yet only seniors have final exemptions options.
“I think that juniors should be allowed to be exempted from their finals if they have a 90% or above,” junior Quinton Gross said.
Many under classmen feel that they deserve to have final exemptions. As they also take challenging classes and work hard toward high grades.
“I think if you leave it with the seniors it keeps it special for them and encourages them to work hard their senior year and gives under classmen something to look forward to,
not letting the underclassmen have final exceptions allows them to learn how to take tests which is an important skill,” Haworth said.
For many, finals are some of the most important and challenging times of the year which makes final exemptions more enticing to everybody. Many senior students will want to meet the exemption requirements when finals begin at the end of the semester creating a goal for many.
