# Those who passed - cut score?



## mcompound (Jun 14, 2007)

To those who have passed - how did you feel after the exam? Now that you have passed what is your impression of what the cut score was?

List what you think it was and what exam and discipline you took.


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## stompbox (Jun 14, 2007)

mcompound said:


> To those who have passed - how did you feel after the exam? Now that you have passed what is your impression of what the cut score was?
> List what you think it was and what exam and discipline you took.



that is speculative and you do not even get your % correct anymore when you pass..... so there is no point to thi-s


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## floridaengineer4now (Jun 14, 2007)

SapperPE said:


> mcompound: There really isn't any way to determine the cut score. In order to get anywhere close, you would have to know the raw scores and who passed for a pretty large sample size of the examinees. I started a thread a year ago where I posted my Diagnostic report and did some math based on the fact that Virginia gives you a scaled score and you can figure out how many you actually got right or wrong based on the diagnostic, but it was only a guess and it was only for water resources. It really is an exercise in futility to try to determine the cut score.
> For the rest of you who read one of my posts yesterday about the trends: I told you so.


I do remember that post yesterday. Maybe as this site keeps growing, we will have a member on the inside of NCEES and they will tell us the cut score. But then you will still be stuck figuring out what your raw score was. If I fail, I'll just assume I missed it by a ton, and study like crazy for the next one. Missing it by one, or missing it by 20, really makes no difference, you still miss the mark. Same thing for those who passed. Thats my 2 cents anyway.


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## mcompound (Jun 14, 2007)

I'm looking for people's guesses based on how that felt after the exam. Not for a derived formula based on some diagnostic


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## NCcarguy (Jun 14, 2007)

From previous experience, most people leave the test thinking that they're "CLOSE". Meaning Close to passing, or close to failing, and of course getting that PE letter just makes you feel like you probably made it by 1....which BTW, I would bet that 80% of the people that take this test is within 5 correct answers from passing or failing, might be higher percentage than that.

On the other hand, If enough people that did NOT pass the exam post thier analysis reports, we do start to get a good feel for what the cut score MIGHT have been. It always seems like it's in the neighborhood of 52-53 for the Transportation exam!


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## mgoose77 (Jun 14, 2007)

mcompound said:


> I'm looking for people's guesses based on how that felt after the exam. Not for a derived formula based on some diagnostic



Wow. If I had to quantify my test score based on how I felt after the exam, it wouldn't be good. I think this smiley describes it best --&gt; :waitwall: . Although, remembering back when I took the FE, I didn't give it a single thought after taking the test . . . b/c it wasn't a graduation requirement, I really didn't think I'd ever take the PE, and my instructors never instilled the importance of licensure. They merely said, "you should take it . . . it won't hurt anything." I was totally surprised when I found out that I passed the FE . . . b/c I swore it was bad bad bad. I'm hoping (and praying) this also proves true for the PE . . .


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## ALBin517 (Jun 14, 2007)

mcompound said:


> To those who have passed - how did you feel after the exam? Now that you have passed what is your impression of what the cut score was?
> List what you think it was and what exam and discipline you took.



Wouldn't the cut score be easier to determine by getting the scores from people who failed? Those who fail seem to be the only ones who get an exact report of their scores.


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## mcompound (Jun 14, 2007)

that is a good point. we would get a better idea from those who failed. I'm still waiting results, so I might be contributing to the cut score "guess"


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## theplayer (Jun 14, 2007)

After the exam I felt like I didn't do as good as I thought I would. After thinking through the questions I thought I would be borderline and could go either way. This is just a guess but for the electrical I'm thinking the cut score was around 52/80 because I don't think I did much better than that. I'll never know because they don't tell us the score.


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## Road Guy (Jun 14, 2007)

I know ncees wont ever tell us the cut score, but I would like to see how close people were (on each side of the line)

like 85% of those who passed were within XX "points" of failing, and 75% of those who failed were within XX% of passing, etc.


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## Raanne (Jun 14, 2007)

mgoose77 said:


> I was totally surprised when I found out that I passed the FE . . . b/c I swore it was bad bad bad. I'm hoping (and praying) this also proves true for the PE . . .


I'm kinda in the same boat... although i felt better leaving the FE than i did when i left the PE... ugh... I have absolutely no gage at all on how i did... I think i blocked it from my memory. :multiplespotting:


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## Monroe (Jun 14, 2007)

I wish I would receive a score, so I would no how smart of a PE I would be.


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## lev280 (Jun 14, 2007)

I was wondering if some of you all who unfortunately didn't make it, could post your diagnostics here to help understand this cut score concept.


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## lev280 (Jun 14, 2007)

I really doubt that the PE score is in any way a measure of you "smartness"



Monroe said:


> I wish I would receive a score, so I would no how smart of a PE I would be.


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## RIP - VTEnviro (Jun 14, 2007)




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## Dleg (Jun 15, 2007)

:suicide1:


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## VA_Env_Engr (Jun 15, 2007)

I am kinda the same. The very next day, when my friends and family asked me how I did, I said I honestly can't say. The mind works in mysterious ways...

:suicide1:



Raanne said:


> I'm kinda in the same boat... although i felt better leaving the FE than i did when i left the PE... ugh... I have absolutely no gage at all on how i did... I think i blocked it from my memory. :multiplespotting:


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## jd73 (Jun 15, 2007)

mcompound, This was my 2nd attempt(CE WR) and I felt much better with this exam than I did the October exam. I felt real good about the morning portion(at least 30/40) and O.K. about the afternoon. I figure the cut score is probably in the low 50's (51-53), but who knows.

jd73


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## BORICUAZO (Jun 16, 2007)

Well, if I pass, there is no way to get more than 65% correct score. I am still waiting (PR). I will let you know.


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## AUBOB (Jun 16, 2007)

jd73 said:


> mcompound, This was my 2nd attempt(CE WR) and I felt much better with this exam than I did the October exam. I felt real good about the morning portion(at least 30/40) and O.K. about the afternoon. I figure the cut score is probably in the low 50's (51-53), but who knows.
> jd73


I'd agree with jd73. I took the CE Trans (wouldn't have said a word about it until I found out I passed) and felt fairly strong about the morning session - I'd say maybe even 35/40, but I'd felt like maybe 20 to 25/40 on the afternoon.


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## SHKitUP (Jun 16, 2007)

AUBOB said:


> I'd agree with jd73. I took the CE Trans (wouldn't have said a word about it until I found out I passed) and felt fairly strong about the morning session - I'd say maybe even 35/40, but I'd felt like maybe 20 to 25/40 on the afternoon.


I WILL TELL YOU LIKE IT IS.

THE CUT SCORE IS AROUND 47 BELIEVE IT OR NOT. TAKE THE TEST AGAIN AND LEARN FROM WHAT YOU DID BEFORE. YOU CAN DO IT!


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## jascia1919 (Jun 16, 2007)

I feel it is a little bit low. I would think between 50 and 55.



SHKitUP said:


> I WILL TELL YOU LIKE IT IS.
> THE CUT SCORE IS AROUND 47 BELIEVE IT OR NOT. TAKE THE TEST AGAIN AND LEARN FROM WHAT YOU DID BEFORE. YOU CAN DO IT!


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## ColoradoME (Jun 17, 2007)

jascia1919 said:


> I feel it is a little bit low. I would think between 50 and 55.


I was under the impression you don't get a score even if you fail so how can you tell what the cut score is? Are there some states that actually give you the number correct on your diagnostic report if you fail? That would be the only way of really knowing.


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## mgoose77 (Jun 17, 2007)

Yep. Apparently TX gives you the score either way. Crazy, eh?


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## NCcarguy (Jun 17, 2007)

It's higher than 47, I've reached the 50 mark on one of my failures, and 49 twice. I think you need to be thinking 55! :woot:


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## Dark Knight (Jun 17, 2007)

The cut score is at the end of this segment of your letter

Examination Status: *PASS*

Nothing less...nothing more


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## mwhayden (Jun 17, 2007)

NCcarguy said:


> It's higher than 47, I've reached the 50 mark on one of my failures, and 49 twice. I think you need to be thinking 55! :Locolaugh:



I'm hoping for closer to 47


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## WR/ENV_Instructor (Jun 18, 2007)

SapperPE said:


> I swear I am going to ban all cut score threads in the future.


Agreed! Moot questions and replies. Just do your best!


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## ccollet (Jun 18, 2007)

i thought that there was a thread for the fall exam that all the people that didn't pass (including me) posted there # that they got right based on their diagostic report. I thought the highest number was 55 that someone got correct and still didn't pass, i figured that i got a 48/80 and failed.

kinda works out because 56/80 = 70 %


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## WR/ENV_Instructor (Jun 18, 2007)

ccollet said:


> i thought that there was a thread for the fall exam that all the people that didn't pass (including me) posted there # that they got right based on their diagostic report. I thought the highest number was 55 that someone got correct and still didn't pass, i figured that i got a 48/80 and failed.
> kinda works out because 56/80 = 70 %


CCollet - I follow your line of logic but remember NCEES throws out certain questions, reuses old question, etc. I assume the diagnostic reports sent out are weighted after NCEES works their magic. I doubt there is ever a test administered that all 80 questions are retained. Therefore, the passing cut score is test specific and only NCEES knows what that number is.


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## vmi2000 (Jun 18, 2007)

I'm not sure what the cut score will be this time, last October I didn't have any luck, had a 69 after evaluating the diagnostic report I had 52/80 correct. Good Luck, I'm still waiting on my results.


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## Road Guy (Jun 18, 2007)

We broke it down last exam (with multiple people posting their failing diagnostics) I want to say that no one who failed got higher than a 52?

I cant recall that thread, but it was for civil.

If enough people who don’t pass post their honest diagnostic score we could determine the cut score (pretty close anyways) after each exam.


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## kimnsc (Jun 18, 2007)

I'll start the diagnostics info because I am trying to determine whether or not to take the STR I (AGAIN...will be third time) or CE/SE. I'm in SC so CE/SE will do. I'm just not interested in studying the wide range of sub-disciplines for the general AM portion of the Civil exam. So here goes...17 (that's sad), 33, 44, 50, 50, 43, 23, 43, 14, and 13. (All percentages and straight down the "knowledge areas" listed). As I estimate, I scored a 34. If I have to more than double that to pass, I'm out...


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## Farmboy491 (Jun 18, 2007)

I made it! Whew!. Geotechnical Breadth. I was confident regarding am, not so well pm.


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## grover (Jun 18, 2007)

ccollet said:


> i thought that there was a thread for the fall exam that all the people that didn't pass (including me) posted there # that they got right based on their diagostic report. I thought the highest number was 55 that someone got correct and still didn't pass, i figured that i got a 48/80 and failed.
> kinda works out because 56/80 = 70 %


That's about what I'd calculated, too, based on how I *thought* I did, a 25% chance of getting lucky on the guesses and my reported scaled score. (VA reported passing scaled scores last year)


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## Guest (Jun 19, 2007)

VTEnviro said:


>


CLASSIC !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :15: :Locolaugh: :Locolaugh: :Locolaugh:

JR


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## lev280 (Jun 19, 2007)

For all who are trying to determine the cut score. Here (attached PDF file) is a little description on the "Angoff modified Technique" from the Professional Traffic Operations Engineers website. I believe this same approach is used by the NCEES to come up with the cut score.

Here is a little excerpt from this desription. “The Angoff Modified Technique relies on a panel of content experts who judge each item on the test against the criterion ‘What is the probability that a minimally qualified candidate will answer this question correctly?’ The pooled average of these probabilities is multiplied by the number of questions to arrive at a ‘minimally acceptable’ score by a statistical factor for testing error and examination of the distribution of scores in the immediate vicinity of the tentative passing point to give the benefit of the doubt to candidates who score just below the tentative level”


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## Farmboy491 (Jun 21, 2007)

jregieng said:


> CLASSIC !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :Locolaugh: :Locolaugh: :Locolaugh: :Locolaugh:
> JR


Guess I missed it.


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