Raw Score Scaling Help!

[BlueLikeJeff]

Im about to take the West Civ I test and the REA study guide says if your raw score is a 50/120 you should get a CLEP score of also a 50. Does that sound right? and if not, how many questions does it take to answer correctly to receive a 50 or better? Thanks!!

[ShotoJuku]

[COLOR="Navy"]The safest "raw answer" to your question is to have answered slightly better than half of the total number of questions correctly. There is no exact science and no true formula, however answering MORE than half correctly will usually give you a pass.

I cut and pasted this formula so you can see the basic idea. I do not recall who came up with this but it is a good conceptual blueprint.

FACT: The lowest possible score is a 20. The hight possible is an 80.

FACT: Approx. 1/2 the questions on the test must be successfully answered to get a 50, or a pass.


Now, the hypothesis: In a 100 question test, such as Sociology and many others, there are only 60 possible points (between 20-80) for 100 questions.

60 points divided by 100 questions = .6pts

If each questions is worth .6 points, 50 correct questions = 50q X .6pts = 30pts

You must add 20 since 0 correct questions = 20pts.

30 points + 20 points = 50 points, or a pass.

Now:

If each point in a 100 question test is worth .6 points, 100 questions X .6 points = 60; 60 + 20 = 80.

By this formula, answering 75 questions correctly would translate to a score of 65.[/COLOR]

[BlueLikeJeff]

thank you, that was helpful. i thought it would be somewhere around 60 out of 120. that makes more sense. i believe you have basically answered this but skipping a question should not be done because guessing on a question i dont know wont hurt me, correct? meaning I dont get penalized for wrong or skipped questions?

[campbell0021]

thank you, that was helpful. i thought it would be somewhere around 60 out of 120. that makes more sense. i believe you have basically answered this but skipping a question should not be done because guessing on a question i dont know wont hurt me, correct? meaning I dont get penalized for wrong or skipped questions?

Always answer all the questions...you dont get penalized for wrong answers.

[Ruddigore]

Always answer all the questions...you dont get penalized for wrong answers.

Plus you might get it right!

Good luck.

[ShotoJuku]

[COLOR="Navy"]NEVER submit an exam with unanswered questions.

The question appears on your screen....

1. Either you know the answer or you don't

2. If not, eliminate answer choices that could not be correct

3. Re-read the question again, see if anything fits

4. Boil down to your final answer optionsand answer if you can

5. If unable, mark the question and move on, perhaps the answer maybe revealed in another question down the road. If so, go back to the marked question and answer.

6. If not, use logic and a bit of common sense and select an answer

7. If unable too, make a sound guess

8. If unable still, pray and guess

9. When 1-8 fail you, "C" your way out

10. Don't dwell on any questions either, time is fleeting. [/COLOR]

[bkbarden]

[COLOR="Navy"]NEVER submit an exam with unanswered questions.

The question appears on your screen....

1. Either you know the answer or you don't

2. If not, eliminate answer choices that could not be correct

3. Re-read the question again, see if anything fits

4. Boil down to your final answer optionsand answer if you can

5. If unable, mark the question and move on, perhaps the answer maybe revealed in another question down the road. If so, go back to the marked question and answer.

6. If not, use logic and a bit of common sense and select an answer

7. If unable too, make a sound guess

8. If unable still, pray and guess

9. When 1-8 fail you, "C" your way out

10. Don't dwell on any questions either, time is fleeting. [/COLOR]

Ha! I love this! That pretty much sounds like the way I take tests. If I don't know the answer, I pray, and if I'm still clueless, pick "C."

And I NEVER spend a lot of time on a question the first time around. If I need to spend more time, I mark it and come back to it if I have time at the end.

[NAP]

Lots of great information here!

Plus, always get your score. It is a 6 month wait whether you fail it or choose not to see your score. Even if you think you failed it, there is a good chance that you did not. There is no benefit to not finding out your score.

DANTES/DSST says to answer all of their questions, too, because there is no penalty.

[Ruddigore]

Plus, always get your score. It is a 6 month wait whether you fail it or choose not to see your score. Even if you think you failed it, there is a good chance that you did not. There is no benefit to not finding out your score.

Amen. Don't throw away college credit just because you're feeling bad.

[P00057870]

There is so much helpful information, for those of use who wondered but did not ask.