The famous cut score

[ptatohed]

Yes, talking about the cut score changes nothing, but I don't see the harm in discussing it and tossing around theories.

It is my belief that if a particular problem is discovered to be "defective" after the exam was administered, it is simply "thrown out".

Defective meaning a disproportionate number of examinees got the answer wrong (or right??), no correct answer was provided, more than one correct answer was provided, or there was some other error or unclear fact in the question or answers.

Thrown out meaning if, say, two problems out of 80 were determined to be defective, the exam is now out of 78 total questions.

 

[Sapper PE LS]

But then how could somebody still fail with a higher number than a true 70%?

 

[NJmike PE]

 

[matt267 PE]

 

[thebettersmith]

I think Harry is correct.. I would go a bit further and state that the NCEES test gods are both arbitrary and capricious.. IMHO they are more concerned with removing tares than they are with harvesting wheat.

 

[ptatohed]

But then how could somebody still fail with a higher number than a true 70%?

How do we know they can or cannot? And, why are we talking about %? One needs a minimum # of correct answers (as determined by NCEES) to pass, not any particular %. If, say, two questions are discarded, and the test is now out of 78, and the cutscore is 54, one would pass with a 54/78 = 69.2%. But, the only thing that really matters to the candidate is whether they got 54 or higher (pass), or 53 or lower (not pass), not any %. Right?

 

[Dexman PE PMP]

If the exam is determined to be harder or easier than the "average", the amount needed to pass can be changed as well. Some years it can be a 54, others can be a 57. All the more reason to study and try to get them all correct.

 

[NJmike PE]

If the exam is determined to be harder or easier than the "average", the amount needed to pass can be changed as well. Some years it can be a 54, others can be a 57. All the more reason to study and try to get them all correct.

this

 

[Mike in Gastonia]

Has NCEES ever said that they "throw out" questions? Or is this one of those urban myths like the infamous "70" is a percentage and not just scale score?

 

[Dexman PE PMP]

So they add questions?

 

[ptatohed]

Has NCEES ever said that they "throw out" questions? Or is this one of those urban myths like the infamous "70" is a percentage and not just scale score?

Good question. I guess the only other option if an exam question(s) is found to be defective is to give everyone the point for that question(s).

 

[Dexman PE PMP]

Or just give everyone a participation ribbon and tell them better luck next time. :dunno:

 

[ptatohed]

Or just give everyone a participation ribbon and tell them better luck next time. :dunno:

Or an extra pencil?

 

[DanHalen]

Or just give everyone a participation ribbon and tell them better luck next time.   :dunno:

 Or an extra pencil? 

It's all about the coveted NCEES pencils...lol.

 

[Dexman PE PMP]

The color of the pencil indicates the difficulty level and passing score of the exam. I heard green is the hardest.

 

[NJmike PE]

apparently red is the easiest. FE and PE for me are both red

 

[smilestar]

really are you serious, this time it was green

 

[Dexman PE PMP]

Mine was black, and I passed so I assume that was one of the easier ones.

NJ passed with red = Easiest

I passed with Black = Easy

A few others passed with Blue = medium

This time was green. I don't remember seeing anyone here who passed with green...

 

[knight1fox3]

<-----passed with green = superior engineer

 

[snickerd3]

I have a red and blue but I don't remember which was from the FE and which was from the PE....they didn't date them back then. Passed both first try.