How are the APPLIED, CORE and Subspecialty Exams graded?
The ABD certification exams are “criterion-based” tests*. There is no pre-defined failure rate, so all candidates could pass. A candidate's success or failure is not determined by how well or how poorly other candidates do. The ABD performs standard-setting exercises with the examinations to determine appropriate cut-off values for passing.
The performance of each question on the examination is studied by examination scientists, called psychometricians. They calculate question performance to determine question fairness and level of difficulty. At this time, there are no partial credit or extra credit questions. Each question on the exam is worth one point, including questions where the examinee must select more than one answer.
Psychometricians may identify questions that do not meet testing standards of performance -- for example, an unexpected number of people may choose the wrong answer. That question is then reviewed by ABD directors. If an issue is identified, the question may not be included in the final calculations of pass/fail for candidates.
A percentage of psychometrically sound questions are repeated each year, to allow comparison of examination difficulty across different years of testing.
*Another form of testing is called “normative-based,” and relies on “candidates performing X standard deviations below the mean will fail.” This is not the ABD's method.
