Scoring COMLEX?

[Upstairsmamma]

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According to NBOME:
"Candidates are reminded that scores for COMLEX-USA are criterion based and are not norm referenced. No pre-determined pass rate is established and examination scores are not curved in any way dependent upon candidate performance on any examination administration."

And...

"The standard scores for all three Part examinations are reported on a scale with a mean of 500 and a standard deviation of 100."

Hmmm, can anyone explain how the mean can be 500 if the exam is not curved?

 

[Army DOC DO]

very interesting. I don't know, I guess they have two definitions for standardization! I mean isn't standardization shifting bell curves to eliminate outliers and standardize all tests within the scroe grouping to all fit under the "standard" curve of a mean of 500? To them its standardizing, but to the normal person it is a curve, expecially if you are an outlier.. not sure though, its a damn mystery!

 

[Coxsuckie Virus]

I think whats happening is they have a pass #.

Like say a 70 is passing. And then there's this curve that will show up around there. Like, ya know, a mean of 80, SD of 6.5

Regardless of whether or not the mean is 80 or 72, if you didn't get above a 70, you fail.

The point is, there isn't a 10% cutoff, if everyone aces it, then no one fails. If everyone is below that cutoff, no one passes.

The reason they choose 500 is it's a HUGE number and different questions have different values. If you get #5 right, you get 5 points, but 1, 2, 3, and 4 were only worth 1 point each. So, with that being said, if passing were a 4, you could get 1, 2, 3 and 4 wrong, get #5 right, and pass. But if you get 5 wrong, you better have gotten 1, 2, 3 and 4 correct to just get by. You follow?

How does this relate to the 500 number?

Well, again, say you need that 70 to pass. And 80's the mean and you got an 80 w/ 6.5 SD. They then map this out AROUND that 500 number.

an 80, obviously = 500, 73.5 = 400. But because of this and then, failing is around 350 somewhere. Ya dig?

worrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrd

 

[sether52do]

We were told the national average last year was 490, even though the info from NBOME said the mean was 500.