One of the ways Outlier evaluates how well you’re understanding and retaining the course material is through midterms and final exams. Regardless of course length, Outlier courses typically include:

• 2 midterm exams
• 1 final exam

Midterm exams test your knowledge of the content covered in the first and second 1/3s of the course. On the first day of the cohort, you gain access to lectures and other learning resources for all sections included in the first Midterm exam. Following the first Midterm, the next sections of the course are accessible, and after the closing of the second Midterm, all remaining sections are unlocked.

Final exams become available at the end of the course and are comprehensive of all of the content covered throughout the course. Study hard before taking this one! 

All exams in non-writing intensive courses are multiple-choice (or short answer in the case of math courses and Computer Science). In writing-intensive courses, exams are often submitted in the form of an essay.

Testing Windows

While most Outlier course content allows for flexibility to complete at your own pace, exams are only available to complete during a certain period of time. These windows allow students to complete the exam anytime within the window.

14-week cohort exam windows are open for 7 days.

Typically, exam windows open and close at 12 pm Eastern Time (9 am Pacific Time). Students have up to two hours to complete each exam.

To view your course’s exam schedule, refer to the Course Toolkit.

Dos and Don’ts

Do:

• plan to complete your exam in a single sitting (no Netflix breaks!)
• give yourself enough time ahead of the exam close time to complete your exam (access to any active exam sessions is closed at the exam close time regardless of current progress)

Don’t:

• try to take the exam more than once. Unlike quizzes, you’ve only got one attempt for each exam—there are no retakes available. So make it count!
• forget to complete your exam within the 2-hour time limit

Read more about our Academic Integrity HERE

Exam Grades

In a non-writing intensive course, you will receive your midterm and final grade immediately.

In writing-intensive courses, we make every effort to provide your grade within 72 hours of the deadline.

You can view your grade in the same place where you pressed the “Start” button to begin the midterm/final exam!

Ready to take your exam?