petersons score

pitbull30 · #1 (**permalink**) 05-01-2008, 09:10 PM

I know this has been asked before but at what score do you think you are ready to schedule the test after taking the petersons exam?

Thanks

cookderosa · #2 (**permalink**) 05-01-2008, 10:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pitbull30

I know this has been asked before but at what score do you think you are ready to schedule the test after taking the petersons exam?

Thanks

>>

For me, if I hit over 50% on all three I would feel fine. I don't think just taking one is enough to say for sure, but that's just me.

gus · #3 (**permalink**) 05-02-2008, 05:36 AM

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.

autoxer240 · #4 (**permalink**) 05-02-2008, 07:35 PM

Quote:

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.

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

gus · #5 (**permalink**) 05-02-2008, 10:57 PM

Thank you for re-posting the DSST technical sheet (I had misplaced it after another forum member posted it about a month ago).

I can see how my post can be mis-interpreted. I know that each exam score scales differently, I was merely pointing out that this time around the Peterson's exam was most likely easier than the actual test (in comparison with other Peterson's tests where getting so many correct answers correlates to a much higher score on the actual exam).

To give an example here, take Organizational Behavior as a comparison. I was getting 75% on Peterson's whereas I got a 70 on the actual exam. Here I had gotten a somewhat lower percentage on Peterson's but somewhat significantly higher scaled score.

If you take into consideration the number of questions on both exams and their respective standard deviations you can surely expect a difference in scaled scoring, but in my case the difference is much higher than expected.

cookderosa · #6 (**permalink**) 05-03-2008, 11:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by autoxer240

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.

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."

-David

David is right- it's really all just supposition. HOWEVER, a tendency is (I think) for people to get a score like "60" on any random CLEP/DSST exam and think they did horrible and just made it. The truth is, that 60 is a solid score- a great score- and the equivalent of an A on the tests that give grades. It is down right amazing to get a score in the 70's, and if I might add, unnecessary.

So, the question is- what score should I be getting on Peterson's in order to get a pass (or high pass) on the DSST exams? Well, if you are earning 80% on Petersons, and you pass your CLEP/DSST with a 60+, this is clearly "A" work. For me, if I earned >50% on my three Peterson's tests, I always passed. To me, this demonstrates that the Peterson's is clearly a good measure of readiness.

If we want to get romantic and say it's more about the learning experience and deeper understanding of the subject instead of simply READINESS...blah blah blah, then that's a different question.

bmills072200 · #7 (**permalink**) 05-03-2008, 12:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cookderosa

If we want to get romantic and say it's more about the learning experience and deeper understanding of the subject instead of simply READINESS...blah blah blah, then that's a different question.

I like the way you think Jennifer...now we just need to get Shoto on board with that line of thinking...

I think he was one of those geeky kids in high school that had to get 100% on everything and cried when he was named salutatorian instead of valedictorian...

Just kidding Shoto...you know I love ya!!!

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