If you teach, then you need to know how to calculate test scores. You may not be a math teacher, but you still need to do the math when it comes to calculating test scores for your students.

When an essay is involved in a test, grading is not so cut and dry. You may be just a parent or a student who wants to understand how the test scores are calculated.

If the assignment was graded on a curve, the other scores will dictate where the grade cutoffs should be.

How many questions?

Take a calculator and type in the number of questions there are on the test. The questions on the test should be numbered for you already. If they are not, then count them.

For example:

20 questions on our example test.

Divide amount of questions into 100

Divide the amount of questions into 100, which is the highest score a student can receive on a test.

For example:

100 / 20 = 5

Multiply Amount Wrong by Worth

Take the number you received from dividing into 100 and multiply it with the amount of wrong answers. The number you received from dividing into 100 is how much each question is worth.

For example:

Let's say there are 2 wrong answers in the 20 questions.

  • 100 / 20 = 5 # 100 / amount of questions
  • 5 x 2 = 10 # 2 questions are wrong

Subtract From 100

Type the number 100 into the calculator, and subtract the amount that you received that represents the wrong answers. The result will be the true score on the test.

For example:

Let's say there are 2 wrong answers in the 20 questions.

  • 100 / 20 = 5 # 100 / amount of questions
  • 5 x 2 = 10 # 2 questions are wrong
  • 100 - 10 = 90 # 90 is the test score

For an essay, grade on different aspects

To calculate a test score for an essay properly, score different aspects of the essay. If an essay is involved, there are different aspects of the essay that will need scores:

  • One of these aspects is grammar.
  • Others are proper sentence structure,
  • spelling,
  • punctuation.

For an essay, give 10 points for each aspect

Give 10 points for each aspect when an essay is involved. If this is done, realize that the remaining questions will need to be re-evaluated for score worth.

For example, let's say you have 10 questions and an essay.

If the essay is worth 30 points in total (10 points for grammar, 10 points for sentence structure, 10 points for spelling and punctuation), then you need to take the 10 questions and divide them into 100 to find the true worth of each question.

Take the value of each question, and multiply it with the amount of wrong answers. Subtract that from 100, and add to the 30 points if earned to find test scores.

Tips

1. Always check with other teachers to see how they calculate their test scores. They may offer insights on different ways on how the test is scored.

2. When calculating test scores, always use a calculator to minimize errors.

3. Calculate more than once to double-check your calculation.

4. Remember that if no student scores above 90 percent, you might want to consider using a "curve" to grade the exams. You can either use mode, median or a "bell curve" for creating your curve.

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Tips

  • Always check with other teachers to see how they calculate their test scores. They may offer insights on different ways that they score their tests.
  • When calculating test scores, always use a calculator to minimize errors. Calculate more than once to double-check your calculation.
  • Remember that if no student scores above 90 percent, you might want to consider using a "curve" to grade the exams. You can either use mode, median or a "bell curve" for creating your curve.

Writer Bio

Junior at USC studying communications