Standard Setting Issues and Methods

Standard setting: Comparison of two methods

BACKGROUND The outcome of assessments is determined by the standard-setting method used. There is a wide range of standard-setting methods and the two used most extensively in undergraduate medical education in the UK are the norm-reference and the criterion-reference methods. The aims of the study were to compare these two standard-setting methods for a multiple-choice question examination and...

Standard setting in medical education: fundamental concepts and emerging challenges

  The process of determining the minimum pass level to separate the competent students from those who do not perform well enough is called standard setting. A large number of methods are widely used to set cut-scores for both written and clinical examinations. There are some challenging issues pertaining to any standard setting procedure. Ignoring these concerns would result in a large dispute ...

Standard-setting and Environment

Standard setting using Angoff methods 1 Setting Cut Scores: Critical Review of Angoff and Modified-Angoff Methods

This paper presents a critical review of the Angoff (1971) and Angoff derived methods, according to criteria for assessing cut score setting methods originally proposed by Berk (1986) and further recommendations by Hambleton (2001). The criteria have been updated to reflect the progress that has been made in standard setting research over the past 17 years. The paper also discusses the assumpti...

Criterion Item Standard Setting

A method for establishing a minimum passing standard for a multiple choice test is described. The procedure is based on expert judgment about the content of test items. The method can also be used to monitor or adjust a standard that is already in place. The procedure carries advantages that are not available from other approaches to standard setting. It is easy to implement and easy for partic...