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Originally Posted by gus
I would also add that it depends on the exam you're considering as some of the peterson's, a small number, are easier than the actual exam.
One example from experience was Principles of Supervision, I had tried two or all three of Peterson's tests and was consistently scoring 80%. That was without any previous specific prep (just previous knowledge). On the day of the actual exam, I only managed a 62! You'd think 80% should get you a somewhat higher score. I did not feel the DSST was difficult at all, so I obviously must've missed quite a few concepts (more like misunderstood concepts). I know the DSST scores are scaled but it still seems far from the 80% I was getting on Peterson's.
You'll find that most members here have been quite comfortable with just 50%. It all depends on whether you just want a pass or a good score with a good grasp of the subject matter.
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http://www.getcollegecredit.com/pdfs...UGUST_2007.pdf
62 is WELL above the average scaled score of student who took the test and had achieved an "A" in an equivalent class. (53) A "B" student averaged (49) and a "C" student averaged (46). Those scores are scaled and since they begin at 20 and end at 80 you cant correlate an average raw score like the practice tests to the scaled score of the DSST's by just comparing the numbers.
There are two versions of the test. An 85 question version and an 86 question version. The mean raw score of the 85 question test given to subjects was 56.3 correct with a standard deviation of 10.8, and the mean of the 86 question test was 53.2 correct with a standard deviation of 12.4. That is 66% and 62% respectively in just raw averages. Of course those percentages still don't tell you how many you need to get right on the test, since the scores you are given are scaled.
The thing to remember is that A, B and C students took the test. The C students would tend to be at the lower end of the standard deviation scale and the A's near the top. That potentially means, on average, the highest student on the first test would likely get 67.1 questions right (78.9%) while the lowest would get 45.5 (53.5%) right.
Of course this is all oversimplified bogus math since we still don't know the conversion factors that DSST uses, and the Peterson tests aren't exactly the same as the actual tests, but it gives you an idea where people get their numbers of "If you can get about half of the questions right on the exam you will receive a passing score."
Take a look at the fact sheet and draw your own conclusions about how many you need to get right for each test. I have found it to be a very valuable resource.
-David