Sitting “constructed response” (CR) essay-based exams is a lot harder than taking a multiple choice test. For one, all you are given is a blank screen and so the exam requires you to be generate your own answers and package your response in the form of an essay. This demands a whole range of additional skills that are not needed for multiple choice exams and helps to explain why the pass mark is set at a lower level.
To help provide learners with guidance as to how exam essays are marked and graded, CIPS has recently published a guidance note to explain how they grade written answers to these CR exams. Here we explain what each of their grades means.
FAIL
A ‘fail’ grade represents a mark under 50% and CIPS describes this has having insufficient evidence of understanding the criteria being assessed, with the fundamental aspects of the task set not being sufficiently addressed.
This occurs where an exam candidate has failed to address the task set within the question, or where they have failed to provide a complete or adequate response.
PASS
A ‘pass’ grade is an exam result that scores between 50% and 59% and has therefore demonstrated sufficient evidence of understanding the criteria being assessed, as well as addressing the fundamental aspects of the task(s) adequately.
This occurs where exam candidates have addressed the task set within the questions and demonstrated sufficient understanding for the educational level that they are studying (i.e. Level 4, 5 or 6). It means that they have provided generally accurate responses and supported their answers with appropriate examples or theory.
MERIT
A ‘merit’ grade is awarded for any exam response that scores 60% - 74% indicating that candidates have demonstrated some evidence of enhanced understanding for the level that they are studying. This means that overall, the content of responses will be of a good level of depth.
DISTINCTION
The ‘distinction’ grade is the highest possible grade awarded by CIPS and is applied to answers that score 75% or more. Here, CIPS suggests there is strong evidence of a depth and breadth of understanding of the criteria being assessed, with all aspects of the task having been addressed in full.
This requires a consistent demonstration of an enhanced understanding of the task, as well as critical thinking within and beyond the demands of the level being studied.
CORDIE COMMENT
These grades provide useful indicators for student learners and tutors alike. They offer a little insight into what CIPS is looking for when they mark your exam paper, but they do not explain how marks are awarded.
For this, you need to understand the assessment policies within CIPS. All exams are based on an assessment of the published syllabus. each exam question has a ‘mark scheme’ for assessors which provides them with guidance as to how to award marks.
Awarding marks ends up being a points-based system based upon the mark scheme and the evidence provided within each exam answer. Put simplistically, if your exam essay contains the required content of the mark scheme the examiner will award you marks accordingly.
A copy of the CIPS exam grading guidance can be found here. However, if you would like to know more about how to construct effective exam essays for your CIPS CR exams, then do please get in touch.
Maybe you would be interested in attending one of our exam essay-writing skills workshops? We also provided eLearning to help learners understand how to write CR exams successfully.
Whatever your needs, do please get in touch! We would love to hear from you.