As the semester comes to a close, finals week is right around the corner. Many students are still unsure of when the exams are, where they will be, whether they have to take them and how they affect their grades. It is essential to have a basic knowledge of finals so students can plan ahead and be prepared. Here is an extensive guide to the 2026 finals:
Students take their finals with their class unless told otherwise by their teacher. There are five days of finals in total, each respective day being for first, second, third and fourth period classes and one at the very end for making up any missed finals. Everyday, school will still start at the normal time and students will be expected to be in their testing classrooms before 7:25 and will not be allowed to enter after. Whether or not a student is exempt is determined by their overall grade and their attendance. If their final grade for a course is an 80% or higher and they have ten or fewer absences, they have a choice to take it or not take it. Ninth through eleventh grade students, however, also must have ten or fewer tardies as well to be eligible to skip the finals. Even so, certain courses have state-mandated exams that require students to take the final or EOC no matter the grades and attendance.
Exam dates:
- 1st period class: Friday, Jan. 16
- 2nd period class: Tuesday, Jan. 20
- 3rd period class: Wednesday, Jan. 21
- 4th period class: Thursday, Jan. 22
- Makeups: Friday, Jan. 23
Required finals:
- Biology
- English II
- Math 1
- Math 3
- Accounting I
- Accounting II
- Food and Nutrition I
- Food and Nutrition II
- Foundations of Health Science
- Health Science I
- Interior Design Fundamentals
- Biomedical Technology
Some students might decide to take their finals despite being able to skip them. This offers many benefits, as testing coordinator Ms. Kovalaske describes. “One of the benefits would be to get feedback on whether or not you actually know the content. Number two, some students take finals to help our grades. In terms of college, I would say it would keep you in that loop of being able to know how to study for an exam and practice taking a longer test which you do have to do in college.” Since the finals are 20% of a student’s final grade, they can be a good way to raise grades before the end of a course.
Although the finals can be very beneficial, there are also some risks to taking them. Even if the score of a final does not benefit the overall grade, it still has to be put into the grade calculation and students cannot make any further decisions after taking the final. Ms. Kovalaske suggests, “Students should figure out the score they need to get in order to benefit from the final and reach their goal and consider if it is achievable. If it’s not likely, maybe it would be better to focus your efforts somewhere else.”
As finals approach, the best thing a student can do is to be prepared with a good understanding of how everything works and what to expect. Knowing a lot about the finals can ensure that everything has been carefully considered and there will be no regrets later on. Even though studying for finals can be challenging, the week of finals can be a good time to take a break and have an open mind for the next semester approaching.
