Exams and grade curves?

Another student at my school told me that IB exams were graded on a curve so roughly 16% of students get 7's on the test. That determines what percentage of the questions you need correct to get a 7. If it turns out to be an "easy" test, and everyone gets a higher percentage correct, you'll need an even unusually high percentage correct to get a 7. :eek:

Until now, I thought these percentages were consistant and everything over.. say 85% is a 7.

Is it true that exams are graded on a curve? Do these curves vary greatly? When taking practice exams, how do I know what grade I got from the number of points I have correct?

I hope it's untrue.. I hate grade curves..

Reply 1

O-TheC

i don't know exactly but in general, yes, it's true. If a lot of people get very good grades then the grade boundaries go up. On the other hand if it turns out that the exam was very hard then the grade boundaries are brought down. This is done to keep the IB level constant throughout the years.

Reply 2

Splenda620

To what extent is it curved?

Reply 3

tangsiuje

Check p.42- in http://www.ibo.org/diploma/assessment/documents/d_x_dpyyy_ass_0409_1_e.pdf

Reply 4

Splenda620

This thread doesn't work... it makes explorer freeze up on my computer. Thanks anyways, though.

Reply 5

Frapps

Splenda620

This thread doesn't work... it makes explorer freeze up on my computer. Thanks anyways, though.

- works on mine. you might need to download acrobat reader to view this page which is in .pdf format from www.adobe.com.

Reply 6

slsl

the ib grades are basically made to fit a "normal distribution graph" our math teacher explained this to us. there is only a limited number of 7's per subject, limited number os 6's etc. sounds quite unfair to me. but i guess you will just have to work harder to be better than the others to get 7's then.

Reply 7

Rudess

I would just like to point out that no one here has given a correct account of how IB marks are determined. They do a lot of stuff to determine the markbands. They do not just simply put the scores in a normal distribution, and they do not just simply say that 15% or whatever percentage will get 7's. They take into account the statistical distribution, but they compare it to other years' distributions, they take sample papers from candidates, they 'play' with some markbands and refine them according to more paper samples and how this match against course objectives. The markbands are not unfair at all. They do ensure pretty good comparability between examinations sessions, and there are no quotas. If you do good you will get your deserved grade.

Reply 8

slsl

Rudess

If you do good you will get your deserved grade.

Thats not at all what teachers in my school said. according to them, if the whole class gets 7's in 1 subject according to last years boundaries, then again only 10% or so will get 7's in this years boundaries, because the ib does not allow more than 10% 7's.

Reply 9

Splenda620

Thanks for the info, rudess.. that's a bit conforting, but also a bit distrubing that noone seems to know exactly how we are graded. I'd like to take my exam knowing how I'll be evaluated...

Update: :eek:

I've read the pdf file (thanks, btw). It says that the boundries of the gradebands for papers are set so that roughly the top 9% of the candidates achieve a 7. 9%?! That's a lot less than I expected.. creepy...

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