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Home > Certification > How Exams are Developed > Exam Scoring
Exam Scoring
What Are Scaled Scores and Why Are They Used?
HRCI provides candidates feedback on their performance in terms of raw scores and/or scaled scores. The raw score is the number of test questions answered correctly. The minimum raw passing score may differ from one exam form to another because of variations in difficulty level of the exam forms. After equating procedures are completed, raw scores are mathematically converted to scaled scores that range from 100 to 700. The scaled score of 500 always represents the minimum passing score. Scaled scores are equivalent for all administrations and candidates must obtain a scaled score of at least 500 to pass, regardless of when they take the exam. Scaled scores are not "number correct" or "percent correct" scores.
Equating
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Based on the results of the Angoff passing point study, items are pre-equated using Item Response Theory (IRT) methodology, making it unnecessary to assess their statistical characteristics each time they appear on subsequent exam forms. Each item is placed on an ability scale and calibrated in relation to the ability level on the scale at which the candidate who is minimally qualified for certification has an even chance (a probability of .50) of correctly answering the item. To ensure the integrity and security of the exams, every test form consists of a unique combination of items. Thus, no two versions of the exams are identical, although different forms conform to the same test specifications and are built to be similar in terms of their difficulty level. They are not precisely equivalent, however, with respect to test difficulty.
Equating procedures are used to ensure that candidates of comparable proficiency are equally likely to pass the exam regardless of minor fluctuations in overall difficulty level across exam forms. Equating is a statistical process that adjusts the minimum raw passing score for each exam form to compensate for fluctuations in difficulty level across the different exam forms. For example, 125 questions correct on one form may convert to the passing scaled score of 500, while on an easier exam form, 130 questions may convert to the same passing scaled score of 500.
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