Thread: exam curves

Also, do they curve down?

there are no curves;

They will never curve down, so if you have a raw score of 90% or above, you will get an A, even if everybody else got 100%. Some classes apply a curve (biochemistry, microbiology), others have a set number of bonus points described in the course policy, and others throw out enough questions each exam to get the statistical distribution they want. Six of one, half a dozen of another.

-A

A lot of people will tell you when you get here that there is a curve.....NOT true for the most part unless already stated from the very beginning (i.e. BIOCHEM) in which the standard has been pretty much the same. He gives a disclaimer that it can subject to change but it didn't this term despite how difficult the final may have seemed to most.

nevertheless, otherwise, pretty much straight out....no curves.

It's straight percentage for grades in SGU. There's no "bell curve" for grades. Some classes may lower the "cut-offs" for a certain grade or offer bonus points to "bring up" the grades a little... But there are no curves in the sense that your grade does NOT dependent on how the rest of the class has done. You don't need to "beat the guy next to you" to get the higher grade.

P

Originally Posted by pufbub

hi,
just curious if sgu curves any exams. is your raw score your final score, or do they curve based on the class performance?

thanks.

For some reason people like to deny that this takes place but they DO curve. If the class does poorly as a whole then you will see more points added/questions dropped. I suppose that other people don't think this meets the strict definition of a "curve," but it is essentially the same thing. They don't have bell curves and they don't curve down, but you will get points added in most classes - either through bonus points or by having questions dropped.

Awaiting the rebuttals,
The Trifling Jester

OK, I guess we are using the term "curve" differently.

When I see the word "curve," I think of "bell curves," "statistical distributions," "standard deviations,".... you know, like undergrad grads in many large universities where you need to "beat the guy next to you" to achieve a higher grade because how many people can achieve each grade had been statiscally determined before hand. So, in this sense, SGU does not "bell curve." Your grade is not dependent on "standard deviation" and you don't need to "beat the guy next to you."

If by curve, we mean "any adjustment of grading," then yes, SGU curves. It does so by "bonus points," "dropping ambiguous questions on exams," and "adjusting the cutoff's"... mostly in the student's favor. So in that sense, it "curves." 8)

P

there's a trend where out of the 2 exams given, the midterm and the final, one is somewhat hard and the other is extremely hard. Biochem does curve. For instance this term, an 87+ was an A and a 73+ was a B. They always give points back in other classes in way of dropped questions, adjustments, extra credits. For those starting 1st term in Jan04 be prepared to work your butt off like you never before. Before i came here i underestimated this school and it's educational level. You are about to go into a grind for the next 4 years and term 1 is just the start.

For all classes, if 50% or more of the class gets a certain question wrong, they will "throw it out", and they do respond to challenges, so on the average you get a 3-5 questions back in the course of the whole term on each subject.

most of the classes find ways to help you achieve a higher score, and most of us here have already mentioned biochem and its lower cutoffs... the 87% A, and 73% B.

Anatomy for this past term simply gave the entire class 10 extra points to help out some students who were riding on 88% or 78% to get their respective A's and B's.

I'm not aware that Embryo assisted the students at all...

Histology gave the students 10 bonus questions as the opportunity to raise their grades.

On the whole, i'd say SGU gives out an inordinate amount of A's and B's. I'm used to a class of 300 having only about 30A's instead of 60. So yeah, you can say you would feel less pressure than you normally would--and you would need that slack because Term1 can get difficult if you find yourself behind on the material.

But if it makes you feel better, despite the horror stories about how hard Term1 is, I personally didn't find it to be that hard--and i had time to do other stuff like learn how to sail, go to the parties and spend time getting involved in the campus church...

Good luck!!