Frequently Asked Questions about SOL Test Scores
- What is the passing score for the Virginia Standards of Learning (SOL) tests?
- The passing score for the Virginia SOL tests is 400 based on a reporting scale that ranges from 0 to 600. A scaled score of 0 to 399 means a student did not pass a test. A scaled score of 400 to 499 means a student passed a test and was classified as Proficient. A scaled score of 500 to 600 means a student passed a test and was classified as Advanced.
- What is a scaled score?
- A scaled score is a mathematical transformation of a raw test score, which is the actual number of questions a student answers correctly. This type of transformation is not unlike converting inches into centimeters or Fahrenheit degrees to Celsius. In both cases, the magnitude of the thing being measured does not change during the transformation process, only the units used to express that magnitude. In the case of reporting SOL test performance, a student's relative standing and pass/fail status do not change when their raw test score is transformed into a scaled score, only the units used to express their performance.
- Why are test scores equated and scaled?
-
Individual
test
questions
can
become
exposed
through
repeated
test
administrations.
Because
of
this,
the
Virginia
SOL
testing
program
uses
multiple
test
forms
during
each
testing
window
and
then
refreshes
those
forms
across
subsequent
testing
windows.
Although
each
new
test
form
is
constructed
using
the
same
set
of
approved
content
specifications,
and
every
attempt
is
made
to
match
test
forms
in
terms
of
their
difficulty,
there
are
instances
when
tests
vary
slightly
in
difficulty
because
different
questions
appear
on
different
test
forms.
Because
it
would
be
unfair
to
require
a
student
taking
a
slightly
more
difficult
form
of
a
test
to
answer
as
many
questions
correctly
as
a
student
taking
an
easier
form
of
that
test,
a
statistical
procedure
known
as
equating
is
used.
Equating
is
the
process
of
converting
a
set
of
scores
on
one
test
to
a
set
of
scores
on
another
test
that
measures
the
same
content
so
that
scores
derived
from
either
test
are
equivalent
and
interchangeable
(Angoff,
1982).
Through
this
process,
passing
scores
are
equated
so
that
students
are
neither
advantaged
nor
disadvantaged
by
the
test
form
that
is
administered
to
them.
Once test scores have been equated, a common frame of reference is required to interpret and report test performance. You can imagine how confusing it would be if different passing scores were reported for different tests, even though equated scores had been determined. Scaled scores provide that common frame of reference. The important thing to remember is that the use of scaled scores does not negatively impact a student's ability to pass a test or their performance classification. Scaled scores merely represent an alternative way to report student performance using a common scale for all test takers. - How was the passing score determined?
- Passing scores for the Virginia SOL assessments were established using a systematic process called Standard Setting. Educators from across the state of Virginia were selected to participate in workgroups that identified performance standards associated with SOL test content. Under the guidance of a Standards Setting Advisory Committee (SSAC), these workgroups began by reviewing the SOL test blueprints and then developing descriptions of what a student at each performance level should know and be able to do. Workgroups used a formalized, research-based process to make judgments about test questions and how students at each level of proficiency would perform on them. At the completion of this process, the SSAC submitted a recommendation to the Virginia Board of Education for their approval. Following their review, the Virginia Board of Education adopted the proposed standards and applied them to current and future SOL test forms.
- Will a student get the same score if they retake a test?
- If another version of a test was taken, a student might obtain a slightly different score because no single test measures with 100% accuracy and consistency. If a candidate took several different versions of a test, they would probably obtain a number of different scores that cluster around their typical or average score. As you would expect, some of their scores would be higher and some would be lower than their average score. In actual practice, you do not know an average score, but only the score from a single test administration. Because of this, a concept known as error of measurement can be used to estimate where a student's actual real score is positioned. Typically, error of measurement is something that is considered when developing test forms and setting passing points for those tests.
- What information about student scores will be provided to parents?
- Parents will be provided with a report that details their student's performance on SOL assessments. Reports contain information about each test a student took, his or her scaled score and a level of performance. Scaled scores for the SOL assessments range from 0 to 600. Performance level indicators are reported as Fail/Basic, Pass/Proficient and Pass/Advanced.