An Investigation into the Effect of Raw Scores in Determining Grades in a Public Examination of Writing

Page No.: 
69
Writer(s): 
David Coniam

Abstract

 

This article examines the effect on the grades assigned to test takers either directly through the use of raters’ raw scores, or through the use of measures obtained through multifaceted Rasch measurement (MFRM). Using data from the Hong Kong 2005 public examination of writing, the current study examines how test takers’ grades differ by comparing the results of grades from “lenient” raters against those of “severe” raters on the two systems for assigning grades–raw band scores and MFRM-derived scores. Examination of the results of a pair of raters indicates that the use of raw scores may produce widely different results from those obtained via MFRM, with test takers potentially disadvantaged by being rated by a severe rather than a lenient rater. In the Hong Kong English language public examination system from 2007 onwards, band scales will be used extensively, as indeed they already are in many Asian countries. The article therefore concludes with a call for consideration to be given to how test takers’ final grades may be derived from raw scores.

本研究は香港における公的試験のライティング・テストの採点に関する実証研究である。採点者の得点をそのまま使った場合と、多相ラッシュ・モデリング(MFRM)の得点を使った場合、成績の上でどのような違いがあるのかを調査したものである。香港で2005年度に実施された試験をデータとして使った。分析の結果、採点者の得点をそのまま使った場合には、より厳しい採点者によって受験者が不利を蒙る傾向があることがわかった。採点者の得点を使って最終成績をつける場合にはどうすればよいのかを論じて結論とした。

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