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Dick Grady AC7EL · February 9th 10, 08:50 PM posted to rec.radio.amateur.moderated

On Tue, 9 Feb 2010 11:01:45 EST, wrote:

On Feb 8, 8:38 am, Dick Grady AC7EL wrote:
If we did deduct for wrong answers,
we'd probably have to reduce the passing percentage of 74% (26 out of
35) to something lower, say 65%.

Why?

All that negative points do is to remove any possible gain
fromguessing.

The way the multiple-choice questions (5 choices for each) on the SATs
were graded (back in the ancient times when I took them) wasthis:

5 points for each right answer -1 point for each wrong answer 0 points
for each answer left blank.

OK, that's different. I was envisioning subtracting the number of
wrong answers from the number of right answers. If a wrong answer
counted a negative 1/5 of a right answer, then the passing threshold
could stay the same.

But then the VE's would have to do a bit more math. Either multiply
the right answers by 5, or deal with fractions.

I have a Masters degree in Electrical Engineering, so in
college I studied all kinds of complicated equations dealing with
Fourier analysis and field theory (and had to derive some of them on
closed-book tests).

In my college, the Math and Pysics departments used closed-book exams.
The EE department used open-book exams: the prof would say: "You can
bring with you to the exam anything except another sentient being."

Dick, AC7EL