How are exam scores decided when two examiners score differently?
The Literature Essay test is graded in two independent rounds and the official score depends on the difference between the two rounds.
First, the Examination Council Secretariat hands over the completed test papers and the marking sheets to the head of the examination board. The head of the examination board will gather the marking staff to thoroughly understand the regulations, discuss the marking instructions, and mark at least 10 examination papers together to gain experience and agree on how to apply the instructions. After that, the marking process will be organized in 2 independent rounds in a separate marking room.
In the first marking, the chief examiner organizes a draw of the whole bag for the examiners, handing it to each person separately. Before marking, the examiner must check each test to ensure the number of pages and the number of blank pages are complete and cross out all the blank space left over by the candidate.
The examiners will not mark papers written on paper other than the paper used for the exam. They are also responsible for assigning the chief examiner to handle papers that do not have enough pages or sheets; papers that have the handwriting of two people, written in two or more types of ink, written in red ink, pencil, or have writing or drawing content unrelated to the exam content; papers that are crumpled or suspiciously marked.
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| Candidates in Hanoi during the Literature exam on the morning of June 28. Photo: Giang Huy |
During the first marking, apart from the cross-lines on the remaining paper, the examiner must not write anything on the candidate's test paper or the test bag. The component scores, the total score and comments (if any) are written on the marking sheet of each test, along with the full name and signature.
After marking each bag, the examiner hands that bag to the head of the subject to hand over to the Examination Council Secretariat.
In the second marking, the member of the Examination Council Secretariat will take out the marking sheets and hand over the exam paper bag to the head of the subject to organize a draw for the second marking person, so that it does not overlap with the first time.
The second examiner marks the test directly on the candidate's test and writes it on the mark sheet. The score for each sub-item must be written in the margin of the test paper, right next to the marked item; then write the component score and the total score in the prescribed box, write the full name and sign in the prescribed box on all the test papers of the candidate.
Members of the Examination Council Secretariat, subject heads, and examiners compare the results. If the total score or component score differs by less than 1 point (except in cases of mistaken addition) for the Literature exam, the two examiners discuss and agree on the score.
If the difference is between 1 and 1.5, the two officers will discuss and record it in minutes, report to the head examiner to agree on the score (no corrections on the marking sheet or the score summary in the test). If the dialogue fails to agree on the score, the head examiner will decide.
If the total score difference between the two markings is more than 1.5, the chief examiner will organize a third marking directly on the candidate's test with a different color ink. After three markings, if the results are the same in two out of three, the chief examiner will take the same score as the official score. If the results of the three markings differ by more than 2.5, the chief examiner will take the average score of the three markings as the official score.
If the difference between the scores is more than 2.5, the head of the subject will organize a collective marking. The examiners and the head of the subject will write their full names and sign on the candidates' test papers. The final mark is the official score of the test.
Literature is a compulsory subject and is also the only essay subject in the National High School Exam. In 2019, nearly 872,000 candidates registered to take this subject, but nearly 3,500 did not show up for the exam on the morning of June 25.
The total number of candidates who violated the regulations in this exam was 25. Of these, 3 were warned and 22 were suspended from the exam, mainly due to bringing documents and mobile phones into the exam room.
A candidate from Phu Tho, who took a photo of the exam paper and sent it to a friend to solve, was suspended and is being investigated by the police. Four candidates from Son La and Lao Cai had to retake the exam using backup papers on the afternoon of June 27 due to mistakes by the exam supervisor. Six exam supervisors were suspended during the entire exam, all in the Literature subject.
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