Freshmen at St. Benedict’s Preparatory School in Newark do not move up a year by sitting an exam. They do it by hiking the Appalachian Trail.

CBS News reported that every freshman at the New Jersey school must complete a five-day trek before earning the title of sophomore.

For many students, the hike pushes them well beyond anything they have done before. Some have never gone hiking. Others have never camped outdoors.

The school has run the annual hike for 53 years. Students go out rain or shine and face the conditions they get in the mountains.

Before they reach the trail, freshmen spend the spring training together through physical conditioning and team-building exercises.

They are placed in small groups, and each student is given a specific role, including navigator, medic, cook, camp specialist or captain.

While each student learns one skill, no one is taught everything needed to finish the trek.

“The idea is that they have to rely on one another,” school administrator Glenn Cassidy told CBS News. “The only way we can get through this is if we work together and make it there.”

Cassidy told CBS News the teams spend much of the hike operating on their own with limited adult involvement. He said that approach helps students build leadership and trust in each other.

He said wet weather can make the trip more meaningful.

“When life gets difficult, it’s something you can refer back to,” Cassidy said. “You know, there’s a lot of rainy days in life.”

When this year’s freshmen finished the trek in May, they crossed the line tired and sore. Their shoes were badly worn, and some students had bumps and bruises.