All international secondary school exams valid for international university admissions must be objective & credible !
Scoring A-Levels in the UK and International Baccalaureate (IB) exams involves a combination of coursework, essays, and exams assessed by human examiners, which introduces subjectivity. Examiners may interpret and grade answers differently based on their judgment and understanding of marking criteria.
To mitigate bias, exam boards train and standardize examiners, providing detailed marking schemes to ensure consistency across different examiners and sessions. While multiple-choice exams are more objective since answers are clearly right or wrong, they may not fully evaluate critical thinking or deeper understanding, which subjective assessments like essays can capture.
Essays allow students to demonstrate understanding, analytical skills, and argumentative abilities, offering a holistic view of their capabilities beyond mere factual recall. Exam boards aim for fairness and transparency by publishing guidelines and allowing review or appeals to ensure grades are awarded accurately. while A-Levels and IB exams involve subjective assessment, efforts are made to minimize bias through examiner training and standardization. Subjective assessments provide a comprehensive evaluation of students' skills, despite introducing some grading variability. Multiple-choice exams offer objectivity but may not assess broader cognitive abilities as effectively. Both assessment types play essential roles in evaluating diverse aspects of student learning and abilities.
It is true that A-Levels and International Baccalaureate (IB) exams are subjectively scored by many markers. Let us break the statement down:
A. Subjective scoring
In both cases, a person grades the students’ works. Markers must interpret written responses, appraise essays and even rate dissertations considering aspects such as clarifications of arguments, depth of understanding and critical thought among others. This inevitably brings bias to grading.
B. Bias
People can easily be subjected to their common or unconscious personal opinions. The examiners may hugely bias the writers' individual wordings, orientations in the work or chosen themes unconsciously. Flaw in judgment could happen if the treatment given to the target.
C. MCQ (Multiple Choice Questions) Exams
MCQ exams are often considered less subjective because they rely on objective answers. However, MCQs have their limitations like they may not fully assess on analysis, synthesis, and evaluation. Well-constructed MCQs require careful design to avoid ambiguity. Guessing can impact scores.
D. Balancing Objectivity and Subjectivity
Striking a balance between objective and subjective assessment is essential. While MCQs provide objectivity, they cannot fully capture students’ abilities in HOTS (High Order Thinking Skills). Essays, practical and oral, these type of subjective assessments allow deeper exploration but require rigorous marking criteria and examiner training.
E. Mitigating Bias
Board Exams implement measures to minimize bias by conducting standard meetings with room examiners. Re-echo clear rubrics and guidelines. Process moderately to ensure consistency and transparency and accountability are always crucial.
These assessment methods have their own merits and limitations. The dilemma lies in designing fair and reliable evaluation systems that would consider diverse students' abilities while minimizing bias.
We are in the digital world with AIs, but still machines still operated or programmed by humans. Biases somehow exist, but when it comes to International exams I don't believed provider won't done it since it is being handled by experts before it is being given in the field. There must be a credible government agency that should handle it honestly and fairly. It is human nature that if he/she lost, the winner has something to do with it. If they didn't passed the exam, the provider becomes bias.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Baccalaureate#:~:text=The%20IB%20works%20with%20governments,of%20Europe%20and%20the%20Organisation
I understand your concerns about biases in the digital world, especially with AI and international exams. While it’s true that machines are programmed by humans and can reflect human biases, international exams are typically designed and reviewed by experts to ensure fairness and accuracy. These exams undergo rigorous testing and validation processes to minimize any potential biases. Additionally, credible government agencies and independent organizations often oversee these exams to maintain their integrity. It’s natural for people to feel disappointed if they don’t pass, and sometimes they might perceive bias where there is not any. However, the goal of these exams is to provide a fair assessment for all candidates.
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