How is clep exams scored?

[Shark101]

I just talked with somebody today and they said that clep is scored based on the number of questions you got correct, and they used this example: if there is 120 questions and you only answered 60, then the clep exam will be scored against the number you got correct out of 60 questions, and if you answered half of the questions you passed. Any thoughts?
Thanks

[sgloer]

The way I understand it, that explanation is incorrect.

Your score is weighted, which means that it is based on the performance of previous people who have taken the exam. The harder the test, the worse people in general tend to do, and the less questions you have to get right to get a "pass"

That's just my interpretation. For the official explanation, go to:
http://www.collegeboard.com/prod_downloa...scores.pdf

[Shark101]

Thanks for the response
God bless

[ThatPoshGirl]

I think that person was confused. AFAIK you get a quarter point penalty for wrong answers. So, if you answered only 60 questions and got them all right you would get a better score than if you answered 120 and got ALL of the other 60 wrong. You would get a 15 point penalty and end up with a raw score of 45. I believe that is the way it works.

But, it's not very likely that you would get them all wrong. you should get at least 1/4 correct with just straight guessing. That means you would get +15 and minus 11.25, right? A 3.75 gain over your 60 question score. Now, if you were able to eliminate 1 wrong answer you should get 20 correct and miss 40, which world be a 10 point gain.

I don't guarantee my math, but I'm pretty sure that is how it works.

[snazzlefrag]

I think that person was confused. AFAIK you get a quarter point penalty for wrong answers. So, if you answered only 60 questions and got them all right you would get a better score than if you answered 120 and got ALL of the other 60 wrong. You would get a 15 point penalty and end up with a raw score of 45. I believe that is the way it works.

But, it's not very likely that you would get them all wrong. you should get at least 1/4 correct with just straight guessing. That means you would get +15 and minus 11.25, right? A 3.75 gain over your 60 question score. Now, if you were able to eliminate 1 wrong answer you should get 20 correct and miss 40, which world be a 10 point gain.

I don't guarantee my math, but I'm pretty sure that is how it works.

Hi Poshgirl,

Please Note: There is NO penalty for incorrect answers on the CLEP exams.

THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT - On all DANTES and CLEP exams you should try to answer EVERY SINGLE question....even if it is a complete guess.

[ThatPoshGirl]

The Princeton Review guide says that you get a 1/4 point penalty.

[snazzlefrag]

The Princeton Review guide says that you get a 1/4 point penalty.

Hi Poshgirl,


Yes, I also have a couple of review books that refer to the penalty scoring system.


Check the date of the edition you are reading. CLEPs used to penalize for incorrect answers prior to them becoming computerized. I am not sure of the exact dates, but if your edition of Princeton Review was released more than a couple of years ago it very well may mention the 1/4 point penalty.


However, CLEPs no longer penalize for incorrect answers.


Here is a quote taken from the College Board's pdf file discussing "What Your Score Means".


http://www.collegeboard.com/prod_downloads/highered/clep/CLEP_scores.pdf

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In order to reach the total score you see on your score report, two calculations were performed.

First, your “raw score” was calculated. This is the number of points you earned, based on the number of questions you answered correctly. This means that your raw score increased by one point for each question answered correctly, and no points were gained or lost when a question was not answered or was answered incorrectly.


Second, your raw score was converted into a "scaled score" by a statistical process called equating. Equating adjusts for slight differences in difficulty between test forms and ensures that your score does not depend on the specific test form you took or how well others did on the same form you took. Your raw score was converted to a scaled score that ranges from 20, the lowest, to 80, the highest. The final scaled score is the score that appears on your score report.
----------------------------------------------

So please don't be afraid to guess at ANY question you don't know the answer to. You will NOT be penalized if you guess wrong, but you WILL be rewarded if you guess correctly.


I hope this information helps,
Snazzlefrag

[ThatPoshGirl]

You are right, it is an old edition. I assumed it was cur-era because I bought it new.

[anar579]

I believe snazzlefrag is right, from my own reading on CLEP and Dantes exams trying to figure out their scoring method. This so I can have an idea of what score I'd get based on a full-length sample test. Basically because of this weighted scale (similar I guess to how I've heard grades in law school are awarded) you just have to hope you did a little better than most people, or that everyone else did really badly!

[ShotoJuku]

The old system scoring was based on the full point correct and .25 point for wrong/unanswered questions.

TODAY, they use a percentile rating that falls between 20-80 percentile. One MUST score no less than the recommended ACE score of 50 to rate a minimal pass score.

Many, but not all, colleges accept the 50 as a passing © grade. In any event one should answer (on average) half of the question on the exam correct in order to rate a 50.