Set the passing score by method
A trained panel recommends a cut score; your board decides.
- Length
- A 1 to 2 day panel, about six weeks end to end
- Price, indicative
- From $7,500
A cut score, the score that separates pass from fail, decides who is licensed and who waits. A round number like 70 percent leaves nothing to show the candidate who missed by one. A study leaves a record of who judged, how and why.
How the study runs
- Weeks 1 to 3
Plan the panel
Method chosen, 8 to 12 panelists recruited, and item data and forms prepared.
- Panel, first morning
Define the borderline
Panelists describe the just-qualified candidate in writing, then take the exam themselves.
- Panel, rest of the time
Rate in rounds
Two or three rounds of ratings, with item data and discussion between rounds.
- Week after the panel
Analyze the ratings
The recommended cut score, its standard error and panelist agreement calculated.
- Weeks 5 and 6
Brief the board
The technical memo and a 45-minute briefing so your board can decide.
What you receive
- Who it is for
- Boards and exam owners setting or reviewing a passing score
- Format
- Panel on site or online; analysis done remotely
- A trained panel of 8 to 12, with its roster documented
- A written definition of the just-qualified candidate
- Ratings from every round, with the item data panelists saw
- A technical memo documenting method, ratings and the recommended cut score
- Impact data showing pass rates at and around the recommended score
Is this the right program?
Right for you if
- You are launching an exam or have changed its blueprint
- Your current cut score was set by habit, not by a study
- You can recruit 8 to 12 practitioners who supervise new entrants
Look elsewhere if
- You want us to set the score; we recommend, and your board decides
- You need a cut score within three weeks; a sound panel takes longer to plan
Example: a home inspector licensing exam
A state board licensing home inspectors has used a 70 percent pass mark on its 100-item exam since it was written. Ten panelists, including inspectors licensed under three years, rate the items over a day and a half using modified Angoff. The memo gives a recommended cut score with its standard error and impact data, and the board votes on it.
Standard Setting Study questions, answered
Should we use Angoff or Bookmark?
Modified Angoff suits most multiple-choice exams: panelists estimate, item by item, how a just-qualified candidate would do. Bookmark suits exams with item response theory data, where items are ordered by difficulty and panelists place a marker where the borderline falls. Your psychometrician recommends one in week one and explains why.
Who decides the final cut score?
Your board or exam owner does. The panel recommends, the memo documents how, and the board weighs the recommendation alongside impact data and policy. A board may choose a score within the standard error of the recommendation, and the memo shows the pass rate at each point so the trade-off is visible.
Can the panel meet online?
Yes. Panelists join video sessions and rate items in the platform with the exam secured. A one-day panel online runs as two half-days to limit screen fatigue. On-site panels in New Mexico carry no travel fee; elsewhere, travel is billed at cost and appears in the fixed-fee proposal.
What does the study cost?
From $7,500 for one exam, one method and a panel of up to 12, including the memo and board briefing. It sits with our other psychometric services, and the pricing page lists every indicative price. Panelist honoraria, if you pay them, are separate from our fee.
Plan this program with us
A 30-minute call to see whether Standard Setting Study fits your teams, your calendar and your budget.