EC Exam Grading

rehab nurse · Sep 24, 2006

that's a good question!! this has come up before, though i don't know if it was on here. it may have been on ec's peer network, or one of the yahoo groups.

i do know that all the tests are divided into percentages of content. like i remember NC3 was mainly OB (50% or something high, maybe higher than 50% its been a while!!) and then had a few other small sections of 15% and such. I know several students were upset that they got maybe 10/15 questions wrong on the small section, and did poorly in another small section, but did very well on the OB part and still failed.

The only good thing about the EC exams is getting the instant grade on the screen like computer CLEP exams. Though its hard sometimes to press submit...

sorry i couldn't help, but i know someone who knows will be along soon. there's quite a few EC people on this board!!!

I bet you Eric knows. he's a mod for this forum, and he just graduated a while ago and works in NICU....oh Eric!!! Where are you??? You took statistics!!! How do they grade the EC exams?

EricJRN, MSN, RN · Sep 24, 2006

Yep - you have the right idea, BoredLPN. The grade is based on a scaled score, not a strict percentage/raw score.

BoredLPN · Sep 24, 2006

Yep - you have the right idea, BoredLPN. The grade is based on a scaled score, not a strict percentage/raw score.

Great!! So like the CLEP exam, EC is either pass or fail. What does the scale look like for the Nursing1-7. I can't seem to find it on EC's web page.

Thanks

EricJRN, MSN, RN · Sep 25, 2006

No, sorry for the confusion. They convert your raw score to a scaled score and assign the appropriate letter grade from that. I'm not sure if there's anything published that gives you information about the specific conversion.

parrotmom · Sep 25, 2006

In the study guide I believe they explain how IRT item response theory is graded. You must score certain percentages in certain areas which means that no two questions are necessarily worth the same amount. They do score a,b,c,d,f as well. When you get your test results they will show your percentages in each area. The content guides for the NC courses will tell you what each area's percentage is.

BoredLPN · Sep 26, 2006

I am still confused on how EC exams are graded. C is passing right?

rehab nurse · Sep 26, 2006

C is passing, yes.

Excelsior offers a guide that may help you that''s called "The student's guide to credit by examinations". they go indepth and tell you how the scores and grades are configured from Dantes and clep exams.

In each Exam content guide is a paragragh that lists the passing grade for that specific course. All of the nursing concepts passing scores are C.

BoredLPN · Sep 27, 2006

okay I got this response from EC:

Hello,

Thank you for contacting Excelsior College.

Excelsior College scores exams on an IRT Method of grading. The exam

questions are weighted, given a point value

based on their degree of difficulty. Your total score is based on a

cumulative or numeric score. You will be issued a

letter grade and the correspondeng awarded credit.

Sincerely,

I guess I can say "whew" cause in LPN school at a local junior college all of our exams where a percentage score. 75% is passing with a C. With this EC way of grading I guess its not as strict as it was back in college days. But 160 questions is a lot.