[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"doc-seo-393776-105":3,"detail-sidebar-cat-0-en-105":81,"doc-detail-393776-en":130},{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":6},0,"ok",{"site_id":7,"language":8,"slug":9,"title":10,"keywords":11,"description":12,"schema_data":13,"social_meta":74,"head_meta":76,"extra_data":78,"updated_unix":80},105,"en","api-test-scores-an-equated-scoring-system","API Test Scores - An Equated Scoring System?","","Explains how API exams (510/570/653) were graded using a scaled system for passing scores, then transitioned in 2018 to a new scoring approach. Describes equating across test forms by mapping different difficulties to equivalent performance and illustrates why identical percentages may correspond to different test forms. Shows that the new system provides a final score (e.g., 431) and category performance visuals without detailed category counts or correct-percentage breakdown. Provides methods to estimate the percent score from the final score using passing and perfect score assumptions, including worked examples for different passing thresholds.",{"@graph":14,"@context":73},[15,34,56],{"@type":16,"itemListElement":17},"BreadcrumbList",[18,23,27,31],{"item":19,"name":20,"@type":21,"position":22},"https://docshare.wps.com","Home","ListItem",1,{"item":24,"name":25,"@type":21,"position":26},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/","Document",2,{"item":28,"name":29,"@type":21,"position":30},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/exam/","Exam",3,{"item":32,"name":10,"@type":21,"position":33},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/api-test-scores-an-equated-scoring-system/393776/",4,{"url":32,"name":10,"@type":35,"image":36,"author":41,"headline":10,"publisher":44,"fileFormat":47,"inLanguage":8,"description":12,"dateModified":48,"datePublished":49,"encodingFormat":47,"isAccessibleForFree":50,"interactionStatistic":51},"DigitalDocument",{"url":37,"@type":38,"width":39,"height":40},"https://docshare.wps.com/thumbnails/api-test-scores-an-equated-scoring-system/393776.png","ImageObject",300,407,{"name":42,"@type":43},"Grenda","Person",{"url":19,"name":45,"@type":46},"DocShare","Organization","application/pdf","2026-10-29","2026-09-26",true,{"@type":52,"interactionType":53,"userInteractionCount":55},"InteractionCounter",{"@type":54},"ViewAction",9,{"@type":57,"mainEntity":58},"FAQPage",[59,65,69],{"name":60,"@type":61,"acceptedAnswer":62},"What changed in API exam grading starting in 2018?","Question",{"text":63,"@type":64},"API stopped showing exact right-answer counts and the percentage correct. Instead, it provides only a final score plus visual category results.","Answer",{"name":66,"@type":61,"acceptedAnswer":67},"How does the equating process work in the older scaled scoring approach?",{"text":68,"@type":64},"Different test forms may vary in difficulty. API uses an equating process so that scaled scores correspond to equivalent performance levels even when raw difficulty differs.",{"name":70,"@type":61,"acceptedAnswer":71},"How can you estimate your percent score from your final score in the new system?",{"text":72,"@type":64},"Assume a passing percent (e.g., 70%) and that 400 corresponds to that passing level while 500 corresponds to 100%. Convert each point above 400 into a proportional percent increment, then add it to the passing percentage; the document gives step-by-step examples.","https://schema.org",{"og:url":32,"og:type":75,"og:title":10,"og:site_name":45,"og:description":12},"article",{"robots":77,"canonical":32},"index,follow",{"doc_id":79,"site_id":7},393776,1790993402,{"code":4,"msg":82,"data":83},"success",[84,88,92,95,100,105,110,115,119,122,126],{"id":22,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":85,"show_sort_weight":86,"slug":87},"Story & Novel",90,"story-novel",{"id":26,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":89,"show_sort_weight":90,"slug":91},"Literature",80,"literature",{"id":33,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":29,"show_sort_weight":93,"slug":94},70,"exam",{"id":96,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":97,"show_sort_weight":98,"slug":99},5,"Comic",60,"comic",{"id":101,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":102,"show_sort_weight":103,"slug":104},6,"Technology",50,"technology",{"id":106,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":107,"show_sort_weight":108,"slug":109},7,"Healthcare",40,"healthcare",{"id":111,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":112,"show_sort_weight":113,"slug":114},8,"Research & Report",30,"research-report",{"id":55,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":116,"show_sort_weight":117,"slug":118},"Religion & Spirituality",20,"religion-spirituality",{"id":117,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":120,"show_sort_weight":117,"slug":121},"World Cup","world-cup",{"id":123,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":124,"show_sort_weight":123,"slug":125},10,"Lifestyle","lifestyle",{"id":127,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":128,"show_sort_weight":96,"slug":129},19,"General","general",{"code":4,"msg":82,"data":131},{"doc_id":79,"user_id":132,"nickname":42,"user_avatar":133,"doc_module":4,"category_id":33,"category_name":29,"doc_title":10,"doc_description":12,"doc_content":134,"file_id":135,"file_url":136,"file_type":137,"file_size":138,"view_count":55,"is_deleted":4,"is_public":22,"is_downloadable":22,"audit_status":22,"page_count":101,"language":139,"language_code":8,"site_id":7,"html_lang":8,"table_of_contents":140,"faqs":141,"seo_title":142,"seo_description":12,"update_tm":143,"read_time":144,"preview_page_count":4},7971474921005,"https://ap-avatar.wpscdn.com/davatar_29158cc5080c5b710cf443261637dec0","API Test Scores (See page 5 to determine what % you scored on an API test)  \nIn 2018 , API started using a new grading system for the API 510/570/653 exams. With the new grading system you will NOT see exactly how many questions you got right. And you will NOT see the percentage of questions that you got correct.  \n1.0 API Scoring – An Equated Scoring System?  \nFor many years API has used a Scaled system to establish the Passing Score for these API exams. Here is what the API website says,  \n“Scaled scores on different forms will be equivalent and interchangeable. This means that if two candidates taking different forms receive the same scaled score, the two candidates have achieved the same level of performance on the exam.”  \nThe API committee develops 2 or 3 tests that are used for each API test. They select 125 questions for each test. It is likely that one set of 125 questions is a little bit harder, than another set of 125 questions.  \nFor example; if you flipped a coin 125 times you might get 60 heads and 65 tails. But if you did it again, it might be 64 heads and 61 tails. Suppose heads were Harder Questions and tails were Easier Questions. It’s very likely that the two tests would NOT have exactly the same DIFFICULTY !!!  \nMost of the questions on the exams have been used before. So API knows exactly what percentage of the past testers have selected the correct answer or selected a wrong answer. Using that information, API can use an “Equating Process” to determine the Passing Score for each exam. Different tests will be close in having equal DIFFICULTY but … often they will NOT have exactly the same DIFFICULTY.  \nFor example, suppose on a specific test cycle there were 3 different tests each with a bit different difficulty. API would have a different Passing Score for each test. The passing scores might be:  \nHardest Difficulty Test-Passing Score: 69%  \nMedium Difficulty Test-Passing Score: 71%  \nEasiest Difficulty Test-Passing Score: 73%  \nBut … a 69% on the Hardest Difficulty Test is EQUIVALENT to … a 71% on the Medium Difficulty test, and … is EQUIVALENT to a 73% on the Easiest Difficulty Test. That’sthe EQUATING PROCESS.  \n2.0 The New Scoring System?  \nFor many years , API provided the Tester, with the following useful information.  \n􀁸 Number of questions in each Category  \n􀁸 The number of questions Correct & Missed (by category & overall test)  \n􀁸 Percentage of Correct Answers (by category & overall test)  \n􀁸 The Passing Score & Passing Percentage  \nThe new scoring does NOT provide any of the above. They only provide a Final Score, (i.e. 431) and visual on how well you did on each category. Here’s an example.  \nExample of Final Score  \nExample of Category Scores  \nIt looks like this individual did about a 70% on Data Evaluation and about a 90% on Inspection and Testing Practices. Unfortunately they do NOT show how many questions came out of each Category.  \n3.0 Why the New Scoring System?  \nI’m guessing the system saves API staff lots of phone calls from very Frustrated Inspectors. Take the passing scores in Section 1.0 above. Suppose one inspector Fails scoring a 72%(he had the Easiest Test), but his friend passes with a 70%(he had the Hardest Test) . HE FAILED BUT … SCORED 2% HIGHER than his friend!!! The API staff will get an earful, and the words like “Equating” won’t help.  \nUsing our example in Section 1.0. If someone scores a 69% on the Hardest Test, and someone else scores 71% on the Test with Medium Difficulty, and someone else scores a 73% on the Easiest Test … they all will score a 400 on the new scoring system. No one but API staff will know that they didn’t score the exact same Percentage on the Test.  \n4.0 New API Scoring System-Significant Numbers  \nScore of 200 – Lowest Possible Score  \nScore of 400 – Lowest Passing Score  \nScore of 500 – Perfect Score  \n5.0 How can Your Percent Scored on your Exam be Estimated?  \nSo how do you estimate what YOU scored on the exam? Let’s suppose passing is a 70% ","cbCaifCK72myrRig","https://ap.wps.com/l/cbCaifCK72myrRig","pdf",544833,"English","# API Test Scores - An Equated Scoring System?\n## 1.0 API Scoring – An Equated Scoring System?\n## 2.0 The New Scoring System?\n## 3.0 Why the New Scoring System?\n## 4.0 New API Scoring System - Significant Numbers\n## 5.0 How can Your Percent Scored on your Exam be Estimated?","[{\"question\":\"What changed in API exam grading starting in 2018?\",\"answer\":\"API stopped showing exact right-answer counts and the percentage correct. Instead, it provides only a final score plus visual category results.\"},{\"question\":\"How does the equating process work in the older scaled scoring approach?\",\"answer\":\"Different test forms may vary in difficulty. API uses an equating process so that scaled scores correspond to equivalent performance levels even when raw difficulty differs.\"},{\"question\":\"How can you estimate your percent score from your final score in the new system?\",\"answer\":\"Assume a passing percent (e.g., 70%) and that 400 corresponds to that passing level while 500 corresponds to 100%. Convert each point above 400 into a proportional percent increment, then add it to the passing percentage; the document gives step-by-step examples.\"}]","API Test Scores - An Equated Scoring System? | PDF",1790392999,15]