C in an Excelsior exam

[lost-in-translation]

What constitutes a C in an Excelsior exam? Is there a fixed number of answers one can get correct that guarantees a C?

[barcotta]

What constitutes a C in an Excelsior exam? Is there a fixed number of answers one can get correct that guarantees a C?

There is not. Here's an excerpt from some feedback I left for the ECE Ethics exam that explains some of what I learned about ECE testing and grading. Please see the links to other ECE exams in my signature for more info if you're interested. Please note that I believe my % scores were higher for those exams for which I earned a "B":

Ever been to a Pearson testing center? It's intense. You have to empty your pockets into your locker--no water or scratch paper (they give you some plastic paper and a marker) and you get photographed and fingerprinted before you even enter the testing center. To enter the testing center, they fingerprint you again and warn you that you are being videotaped.

For me, the test was excruciatingly long and I took the whole 180 minutes with only a couple remaining at the end. It was 135 questions and I truly had no idea if I was doing well or not. Like those who have gone before me said--get the practice tests and use them. Even the little review I did helped--but I'm sure I would have been a lot more confident if I had taken both tests and spent some time with them.

So, how did I do? I got an A on the ECE Ethics. Interestingly, the ECE gave you a breakdown of your percentage correct in each of the six sections of the test. My highest was 80% and my lowest was 56%. That got me an A. Crazy, huh?

[marianne202]

I have yet to figure out they system and I have taken several ECE's. I have done better on some and still get a B. I think that is all they are allowed to assign to my name! LOL! I did get an A on one exam, but the rest were B's. They do give a nice bar graph breakdown of your score, but I have never seen any rhyme or reason to how they do the grade assignment based on the score. It isn't just an average, so some areas much weigh more or have more questions. I wish I could offer more help. I will say that the ECE tests and testing experience is much, much more intense than any other testing experience. If you go into one of these exams with the mindset that you just want a C, you will probably fail it. Good luck!

[irnbru]

What constitutes a C in an Excelsior exam? Is there a fixed number of answers one can get correct that guarantees a C?

It depends on which ECE test you are taking. Some ECE tests use weighted questions to establish a proficiency level (item response) and grade from that, others weight each question the same (classical test) and assign a raw score cut off for each grade.

What this means is, that for the item response (IT) tests, there will be easy to hard questions; every questions is evaluated by the established percentage of previous test-takers who have answered it correctly. This means that if a test-taker answered say, 75% of a test correctly, but only the easiest questions, they might still be placed in a proficiency percentile below 75 and consequently end up with a C. Note that the IT tests are NOT adaptive like the old general GREs and are more similar to the Subject GREs but without negative marking.

Ethics: Theory and Practice is an IT test. Grades are assigned by proficiency level and since you would expect (hope) the reliability of the test to be high, the percentage of students passing at each grade should be consistent with the established proficiency level for each grade.

Looking at the two forms of test, 11% of students get an A, 15(16)% get a B and 21% get a C. So, in order to get a B, a student might think to themselves, "I need to be in the top quarter of all students who take this test." This necessarily means being able to answer the harder questions that only the top quarter of students could.

The classical tests work in the normal way. Raw score is computed and student's raw score needs to be above the assigned level for each grade. If someone had a test report, we could compare the % scored in each area and the % each topic is supposed to have in that test by syllabus. Then we could at least know what the minimum raw score is to match the grade that student achieved.

I will say that the ECE tests and testing experience is much, much more intense than any other testing experience. If you go into one of these exams with the mindset that you just want a C, you will probably fail it. Good luck!

That sounds like really, really good advice from someone who's worked out the general rule of thumb from observation and experience.

[P00057870]

I cannot add anything to the discussion of the acutal question but I do want to say that I, personally, did not find the testing site to be all that intimidating. Their staff was friendly and efficient, but definitely meant business. I felt the testing process for GRE at FAU in Boca was more intimidating. They made a point of telling you that their cameras were directly linked to the police station, being recorded, and that if you attempted any funny business, the police would be here before you could get to your car. :ack:

Once you are settled in the room, in front of that computer, it all seems the same to me.

Prepare for the A and then know that they grade in some unknown fashion, and you will do fine.

[lost-in-translation]

Hi everybody, thanks for your contributions to the discussion.