Hearts race as the teacher passes out the pink and red slip answer sheets. Each bubble reflects a semester’s worth of knowledge.

Students must take finals worth 20 percent of their grades in each semester class they take. This percentage, however, can drastically change a grade. These final exam grades do not appear on college transcripts, so when a student applies to college, the university will only see the final semester grade.

“I can understand why the school wants [finals], but in some circumstances they can be a bit extreme, especially in weighing,” senior Will Hardy said.

The school district uses final exams to compare class success rates throughout the district.

“Every semester in every PLC course, or where there is a teacher team, there are three common exams, one of which is a final,” associate principal Dave Wedlock said. “PLCs examine where students were challenged or succeeded.”

There are approximately 25 PLCs, which are spread out over every department. The PLCs plan out a common final that is given to all students in that department. PLCs must create a test challenging enough for all students. Honors and AP students may have a certain section added to increase the difficulty of the test.

Other schools such as John Burroughs School, located in Ladue, MO, and Washington High School, located in Washington, MO, have more flexible final exam policies.

“Finals exams [are] given in all full credit classes in grades 9-11 twice a year: at the end of fall term and at the end of the year,” Scott Heinzel, John Burroughs School grades 11 and 12 principal and college counselor, said. “Teachers are free to decide the format. We feel this experience helps students prepare for the large exams and papers students will face in college.”

At Washington High School, the finals are not common across the district and the teacher can count them for whatever percentage they want.

Over their high school career, students are allowed to exempt a total of four final exams if they meet certain qualifications. Other school districts, such as Ft. Zumwalt, have changed their policy and have gotten rid of exemptions. Before, Zumwalt’s policy was students who had at least a C-average and missed two or fewer days of school could exempt out of finals.

Current college students feel the variation in final exams is too great.

“I’ve taken anything from a final worth your entire grade to no final at all. Some classes require finals for accreditation, but they’re not a high stakes test and the professor gets to decide the points,” Missouri State University junior Michael Gulledge said. “In the upper level in your department finals are usually more advanced than a scantron, either through group work, project, portfolio, or paper.”