How are passing scores established?
Although it is intuitive to think that an appropriate passing score for an examination should be 70 or 75 percent correct based on personal experiences taking classroom tests, these arbitrary values may not reflect the performance level expected of the “minimally qualified candidate” given the difficulty of the test. For example, if the examination is very easy, a passing score of 70 may be too low. However, if the examination is very difficult, this same value may be too high. Establishing passing scores requires the application of systematic procedures that consider the defined performance level definition of the “minimally qualified candidate” and the difficulty of the examination. Before the final passing scores are established, they are evaluated to ensure that the available validity evidence supports their use for the intended purpose of distinguishing the “minimally qualified candidates” from those who are not yet qualified. This systematic method is used to establish and mainta
