Exam scoring

[Gregory Childers]

I want to settle this once and for all. How does CompTIA score their exams?

Every exam has a handful of PBQs, while the overwhelming majority of questions are multiple-choice. Most exams have a maximum of 90 questions, but could have fewer. All exams are on a 100-900 scale, with the exception of a few exams that are pass/fail only.

A well-known trainer posted this on another forum:

Questions have different weighting. CompTIA has never released score values from questions but it is estimated that a multiple choice question (MCQ) is about 9 points, multi-select questions (MSQs) are worth 9 points X however many correct answers there are to select and PBQs run around 90 points (partial credit can be earned).

I have no idea where he got this information. I taught classes FOR COMPTIA and never once did they mention how they scored their exams. I helped write exam questions and never once did they mention how they scored their exams.


My question is this: Does anyone have corroborating evidence that clearly shows CompTIA publicly announcing how they score their exams?

 

[Victor Edem Bassey-Asuquo]

I really would be interested to get hints on how questions are scored. For example, the different weights for PBQs vs Lab based Questions, Vs Multiple Choice

 

[abiodun1991]

I want to settle this once and for all. How does CompTIA score their exams?

Every exam has a handful of PBQs, while the overwhelming majority of questions are multiple-choice. Most exams have a maximum of 90 questions, but could have fewer. All exams are on a 100-900 scale, with the exception of a few exams that are pass/fail only.

A well-known trainer posted this on another forum:



I have no idea where he got this information. I taught classes FOR COMPTIA and never once did they mention how they scored their exams. I helped write exam questions and never once did they mention how they scored their exams.


My question is this: Does anyone have corroborating evidence that clearly shows CompTIA publicly announcing how they score their exams?

I really don't know.

 

[Rick Butler]

I want to settle this once and for all. How does CompTIA score their exams?

My question is this: Does anyone have corroborating evidence that clearly shows CompTIA publicly announcing how they score their exams?

I don't think anyone is going to find it because CompTIA isn't going to release that information. To be honest, I believe any of those 'de-facto' answers are speculative at best. Only thing I can suggest is if someone who had that information was let go last year during the great buyout purge - although I would expect that those people would have some NDA's to sign.

So, I think I'm with Greg on this one - there's no way to definitively know, which means there may be trainers/authors/instructors/etc out there overstating things - which I have also observed.

/r

 

[VICTOR CHIDI OKPURUKA]

I don't think anyone is going to find it because CompTIA isn't going to release that information. To be honest, I believe any of those 'de-facto' answers are speculative at best. Only thing I can suggest is if someone who had that information was let go last year during the great buyout purge - although I would expect that those people would have some NDA's to sign.

So, I think I'm with Greg on this one - there's no way to definitively know, which means there may be trainers/authors/instructors/etc out there overstating things - which I have also observed.

/r

Very true. I tell my students through the years to do their best, aim for the best, and prepare to score the best score they can and they wouldn't have to worry about all of the scoring methodology.

wondering if that knowledge actually helps. minimally for someone ready to validate skills through certs. because failing an exam isn't much of a big deal( loll... just means you either didn't prepare or didn't check through the curriculum, or dont know what the objectives of the exams are and that's all fine)

If you want to pass an exam. prepare your best and you will be fine.

my thought on this.