ABSTRACT
Standardized tests are used for many purposes. In high-stakes testing, test results are often used for making critically important decisions about people. Such decisions include which students are eligible for high school graduation, which applicants pass a licensure test, and who, among qualified applicants, will receive scholarships or other awards and prizes. In order to make these decisions, typically one or more score values are identified from the possible test scores to be the "passing score" or "cutscore." To most members of the public, the methods for determining these score values are a mystery. Many people believe that the often-used passing score from their educational experiences is the appropriate value for these purposes. For some, the familiar 70% of the total score points seems the appropriate passing score to use for these tests.
