# PE passing question



## chaocl (Dec 2, 2009)

I think I know why people score 56 and still fail.

If you score 55/80 = 0.6875 (which you fail).

For example, there is one question that is questionable and the answer can be either A or C.

You pick answer C, that you will score this one but the total question will be 79 and not 80. So you got 55/79 = 0.6962

(do not use 56/80 = 0.7)

You pick answer D, you will get 55/80 = 0.6875.

If you follow this thinking that there are 3 problems in questions. (Just like before if you gess right on those 3 questions) you will get 55/77 = 0.7143 (You just barely pass)---do not use 58/80 = 0.725

Again this is what just come to my mind and this thing might not be true.


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## EM_PS (Dec 2, 2009)

:wacko:


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## TBSS (Dec 3, 2009)

error_matrix said:


> :wacko:


/\ This!

Holy cow that made my brain hurt.


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## Dexman1349 (Dec 3, 2009)

that's why I focused on getting 57 right... 

some focus on minimum standards. sometimes i find it easier to exceed them...


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## Sschell (Dec 3, 2009)

huh?


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## IlPadrino (Dec 4, 2009)

I think he's trying to say that if you answer correctly a question that's thrown out, you still get credit for the extra right answer in addition to the denominator (total number of questions scored) going down by one.


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## benbo (Dec 4, 2009)

IlPadrino said:


> I think he's trying to say that if you answer correctly a question that's thrown out, you still get credit for the extra right answer in addition to the denominator (total number of questions scored) going down by one.


Do they really throw out that many problems? I bet it's pretty rare.

It's also a pretty silly way to do things (throw out the problem in the total count but give credit for a correct answer). I would think a better way would be to give credit to everyone, or credit for more than one answer.

But since the only idea anybody has about how many problems they got right or wrong is from the diagnostic, and the diagnostic only gives the correct percentage in each area, if the number of problems in each area were reduced it wouldn't always work out so perfectly percentage wise - for example if we expect five problems in a certain area we never see diagnostics with 50% out of those five, it almost always is something like 60% of 5 or 80% of five.

I put all of this type of rumination in the Ouija board pointless category anyway.


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## EM_PS (Dec 4, 2009)

truthfully, its the BCS computers that score the exams - the reason for the delays are obvious: same time of year as college football drawing to its close - now what they gonna do w/ Boise St is bigger issue than keeping so many examinees in suspense...


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## RIP - VTEnviro (Dec 4, 2009)

Tell Boise State they pass and send the examinees from the Cleveland site to the Orange Bowl.


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## IlPadrino (Dec 4, 2009)

benbo said:


> But since the only idea anybody has about how many problems they got right or wrong is from the diagnostic, and the diagnostic only gives the correct percentage in each area, if the number of problems in each area were reduced it wouldn't always work out so perfectly percentage wise - for example if we expect five problems in a certain area we never see diagnostics with 50% out of those five, it almost always is something like 60% of 5 or 80% of five.


Yeah... it seems the diagnostic accounts for all the questions. Who knows what they do with questions that are discounted, but I don't think you can give some people credit (one more in the numerator) for answering right and not give credit (one less in the numerator) for those that don't answer right - all the while lowering the denominator by one. That'd seem quite unfair!

I agree it's hard to imagine many questions getting thrown out.

And I agree, it's all conjecture that doesn't really matter - you either pass or fail and trying to dissect the process won't change that fact or help you in the future. Still, it's fun to read the conspiracy theories!


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## Dexman1349 (Dec 4, 2009)

IlPadrino said:


> And I agree, it's all conjecture that doesn't really matter - you either pass or fail and trying to dissect the process won't change that fact or help you in the future. Still, it's fun to read the conspiracy theories!


+1

Knowing you need to get 56 right does not change how you should study. Trying to figure the system out is a good way to kill time until you get your results though...


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