What Is a Midterm?

A midterm is an exam given around the middle of a term, such as a semester or quarter, to assess what students have learned so far. It is common in US colleges and used elsewhere under names such as mid-semester exam or midterm test. Midterms are usually worth a significant portion of the final grade, though less than the final exam.

Formats

Midterms vary by subject and instructor. They may be in class or in a testing center, closed or open book, and online or on paper. Question types include multiple choice, short answer, problems, essays or a combination. Some courses replace the midterm with a project, paper or take-home assessment.

Many courses have one midterm, and some have two or more. Dates are listed in the syllabus, and some colleges have a designated midterm period.

Why they exist

Midterms give you feedback on how you are doing while there is still time to improve. They also encourage regular study, since they break up the course into manageable parts, and they help instructors check whether teaching is working.

Preparing

• Check the syllabus for the date, format, topics and weighting.
• Plan backward, and start a week or more before.
• Review notes and readings, and make summaries.
• Practice with past exams or problem sets, timing yourself.
• Form a study group to test each other.
• Use office hours to resolve confusion.
• Sleep and eat well before the exam.

After the midterm

Review your graded exam to see what you missed and why. If you did poorly, talk to your instructor and consider tutoring, changing study methods or, if the deadline allows, withdrawing. Some courses offer extra credit or drop the lowest score.

Midterm grades

Some colleges also issue midterm grades, which are warnings or progress reports, not part of the permanent record. They can help you and your advisor identify problems early.

Related terms

See finals week, take-home exam, blue book exam, incomplete grade and withdrawal.