Home | How Multiple-Choice Tests Work | Grading Schemes

The Value of Judgment

The time has come when all the information in a multiple-choice test can easily be scored rather than just right marks. Student judgment or quality can also be scored and rewarded. Students functioning at higher levels of thinking learn more, retain more and earn higher test scores. They develop judgment from the habit of reading and observing by questioning and confirming using higher levels of thinking. They know what they know and do not know.

Student judgment can be given a value from zero to 100%. It is measured by giving students the opportunity to report what they know and can do, and, what they cannot do or do not know. It can then be nurtured by rewarding students for assuming the sense of responsibility needed to learn at higher levels of thinking.

Value for Judgment	Test Method	Guessing	Use
			Valid	Classroom
	Traditional		Standardized Tests (but not preparation for low achievers)
0%	Count Right Marks Only	Required	Ranking high achievers	Grades of Unknown Quality
	Knowledge and Judgment Scoring*		Classroom Tests (and preparation for standardized tests)
20-50%	Students Control Chance	Not Required	Instructional feedback for individual student counseling and course improvement	Grades of Known Quality and Student Development
33-50%	Rewards Higher Levels of Thinking
	Confidence- Based Learning**		Competency Tests (and preparation for high scores on standardized tests)
75-95%	Requires Higher Levels of Thinking	Strongly Discouraged	High-risk assessment and student counseling	Mastery and Student Development

*    A trademark of scoring and analysis software by Nine-Patch Multiple-Choice, Inc.

**   A trademark for an instructional system by Knowledge Factor, Inc.

27 October 2008