End of course exams, also known as EOCs, are an important state exam for four high school courses throughout South Carolina. Freshmen who take English I, Algebra I, and Biology I finish these courses with the EOC, while juniors finish the US History curriculum. These tests range in difficulty, with many juniors citing US History as the hardest one to take. When asked about the difficulty of the Biology exam, freshman Zach Verdin responded, “I wasn’t really nervous at all. Our teacher prepared us all well.”

The EOC process lasts several days and involves many people from the school, district, and state. From the students taking the exams to administrators spending countless hours assembling packets, many people put in a lot of effort to make sure this process works efficiently. EOCs are important as they are exams for some of the most fundamental classes in high school. Counting for 20% of the class grade, students are incentivized to do well on these exams so they can be exempt from their teachers’ final tests. For freshman, the Algebra I test took place Jan. 5, English I was administered Jan. 9, and the Biology I test was held Jan. 11. Juniors took US History on Jan. 10.

Ms. Rees, the EOC coordinator, said, “The hardest part is figuring out which students need to take the exam and organizing around their schedules.” Ms. Rees is very instrumental in the process, helping administrators assemble the materials to ensure everything is accounted for when it comes time for the test.

As the second semester starts up, those who haven’t taken their EOCs yet will be thinking about them soon enough when this process starts all over in May.