[thelist] Hiring Eye Opener - Web Skills Testing

[martin.p.burns at uk.pwcglobal.com]

Memo from Martin P Burns of PricewaterhouseCoopers

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Also, 70% in a test which has simple right/wrong answers *would*
be a poor score, whereas for any complex, real-world problem, where
you're also answering in a very time-limited situation without access to
reference
material (ie real-world problem without real-world resources), 70% would
be good.

The post grad qualification I'm doing at the moment has the pass mark at
40%, credit at 60% and distinction at 65%. The marking standard tends to
mark people at 59% or 64% where their submissions are generally of the
standard, but missing one or two important things (so it's not a simple "1
mark per good point and total at the end").

For real-world problems, though, the required standard isn't "perfection",
but
"good enough", particularly in an entry-level position. If you're taking
someone
straight out of education, then you're assessing potential and attitude -
*could*
they be really good with the environment you're going to provide?

Cheers
Martin


Subject:    Re: [thelist] Hiring Eye Opener - Web Skills Testing


I think we might be talking about two different systems, the American vs.
the
British(?) system, in which 70% would equal an excellent score in Britain
and
and a mediocre score in America based on different scoring methodologies.

Roger Newbrook wrote:

> not such a spring chicken myself, when i was an undergraduate 88-91 and
post
> graduate 1995 (UK), 70% was the pinnacle of achievement, anything higher
> meant that you had been touched by the hands of the gods. though, from
> academics i know today (for essays/projects that there are no specific
> *right* answers to), they are being encouraged to use the *full* range of
> marks.


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