I’m surprised at the extensive coverage about lowering the pass mark in the senior principles’ exams in the public service.

For more years than I care to remember I have held senior positions in one of the exam boards in the UK. Although they set and mark examinations for school students, the same principles apply to any exams. I have retired this year so I can spend more time in Malta.

Examinations are graded either by criteria referencing in the case of vocational qualifications or by norm referencing in what we might refer to as academic qualifications.

In the case of criteria referencing, a candidate scores a mark if s/he can perform a particular task. In my case, I examined information technology and, so, if a candidate can change the font size using a word processor, they score a mark, if they cannot they score zero.

With norm referencing, suppose candidates need to score 80 per cent for the highest grade, usually A*, and that 12 per cent of candidates are expected to achieve this. If only 10 per cent of candidates achieve the highest grade, it is assumed that, compared to previous years, the exam itself was slightly harder and so the grade boundary is lowered so that 12 per cent is still achieved. If, on the other hand, 15 per cent of candidates achieve 80 per cent or more, then the exam is deemed to have been easier than before and so the grade boundary is raised. Overall, all the exam boards in the UK try to achieve consistency from year to year. Changing the pass mark is not underhand; it is all part of ensuring consistency over time.