Minimum Passing Score: either 154 or 165

[June2010]

According to http://www.cfainstitute.org/cfaprog/overview/pdf/IntoOur5thDecade.pdf

the Minimum Passing Score is decided by the performance of the top 1%, so I ran a simple scenario analysis:

If top 1% achieved an average of 235, the minimum passing score would be 165
If top 1% achieved an average of 230, the minimum passing score would be 161
If top 1% achieved an average of 225, the minimum passing score would be 158
If top 1% achieved an average of 220, the minimum passing score would be 154

the chances for the top 1% to get lower than 220 or higher than 235 are very low.

 

[cjones65]

So you used 240*[70%*(Top 1% Score/240)] to get these possible minimum passing scores? Is this really how CFAI makes their judgements? Is this a blanket score, or do you have to score at least 0.6875 or 0.6417 on every section for the 165 and 154 methods, respectively? In otherwords, can you get zeros on some sections while doing exceptionally well in other areas and still pass?

 

[daj224]

i think you can bomb a section completely and still pass

 

[faraz70s]

if ur overall score is less than 50%, do u still have remote chances of passing the exam?

 

[ashish_iitr]

any individual cutoff for every section??

 

[bostonkev]

I read somewhere (though not 100% sure) that if you are right on the borderline of the minimum passing score overall:
1. you pass if you get >70% on ethics (since they add a point)
2. you fail if you get <70% on ethics (since they deduct a point)



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at Monday, July 7, 2008 at 07:27AM by bostonkev.

 

[June2010]

that's probably a rumor. My instructor grades CFA papers every year and he said that's not true. All you need is the total score.

Their emphasis on ethics is already reflected on the weight of this sector in the exam.

bostonkev Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I read somewhere (though not 100% sure) that if
> you are right on the borderline of the minimum
> passing score overall:
> 1. you pass if you get >70% on ethics (since they
> add a point)
> 2. you fail if you get <70% on ethics (since they
> deduct a point)

 

[bostonkev]

I am hoping you and your instructor are right...I think my weakest section on the exam by far was ethics.

 

[June2010]

you can still pass if that year the exam is extremely difficult and the top 1% achieved a very low score such as 214. You multiply 214 by 0.7, which will be the minimum passing score.

faraz70s Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> if ur overall score is less than 50%, do u still
> have remote chances of passing the exam?