Annual "Rules Test" Scores

[Kansas Ref]

Despite the obvious level of rules knowledge, casebook wisdom, and preponderance practical experience that is present amongst Forum writers, I would wager that none of you have ever scored a perfect "100%" on the annual rules exam from the NF.

Please bear in mind that the intent of this post is not to question your aforementioned knowledge, but rather to state that it is ''impossible'' to get a score of "100%". Why? Because the rules test invariably contains clerical/typographic and procedural errors in the creation of the actual test questions. Ergo, making it feasibly ''impossible" to score a 100%. I have even asked folks if they intentionally answered a question "wrong" just to get it "right"--with prior knowledge that a particular question was incorrectly written/worded/phrased. However, when they tried this ruse, they still got the question wrong.

The test is either 50 or 100 questions long as I recall--with a requirement of 75% for Certification Passing. For the record, the highest I ever scored was a 93%. Some of my local ref colleagues have said they scored a 97% but never a "100%"--even the local association president.

Agreeably, I cannot request your 'proof' of a perfect score if you ever had one, but it just seems to me that because of the afore-stated reasons no one has ever scored a 100%.

[Raymond]

I have scored 100 at least once. Don't remember if that was after an adjustment was made for incorrect questions.

[justacoach]

Definitely possible......are you butthurt about something?

When is the last time an assignor (or coach, partner, player or fan) asked you about your test score?

My 100% score on a written test is no assurance I can referee effectively.

People who fixate on test scores usually suffer from other major issues that preclude advancement and success.

[SC Official]

Ok, what is the point of this thread? Are you trying to make yourself feel better about scoring lower or something? If you want to score higher, study more.

And your score on a test doesn't mean s*** if you can't referee.

And I've gotten 100% on the NFHS test multiple times. The people who complain the most about it generally have poor rules knowledge to begin with.

[Kansas Ref]

Originally Posted by justacoach

Definitely possible......are you butthurt about something?

When is the last time an assignor (or coach, partner, player or fan) asked you about your test score?

My 100% score on a written test is no assurance I can referee effectively.

People who fixate on test scores usually suffer from other major issues that preclude advancement and success.

**like whoa, pump your brakes "justcoach" & "SCO"...if you read the prelude to my query you would see that it has Nothing to do with 'ego' or anything, it's just a simple question that addresses the impossibility of said score based on human error in the writing of said testing document.
We all know that a test score has no bearing on officiating ability...but that's not the point. For example there are folks who pass the "Kansas state driving test" with a 100% who cause more accidents than others who score lower.

[justacoach]

Originally Posted by Kansas Ref

**like whoa, pump your brakes "justcoach" & "SCO"...if you read the prelude to my query you would see that it has Nothing to do with 'ego' or anything, it's just a simple question that addresses the impossibility of said score based on human error in the writing of said testing document.
We all know that a test score has no bearing on officiating ability...but that's not the point. For example there are folks who pass the "Kansas state driving test" with a 100% who cause more accidents than others who score lower.

Find it hard to conceive this subject just innocently popped into your train of thought.

BTW, I have Freud genes in my bloodline

[bob jenkins]

Originally Posted by Kansas Ref

The test is either 50 or 100 questions long as I recall--with a requirement of 75% for Certification Passing. For the record, the highest I ever scored was a 93%. Some of my local ref colleagues have said they scored a 97% but never a "100%"--even the local association president.

I'm pretty sure all the questions are weighted equally, so I don't see how someone can get an "odd number" percent on a 50-question test.

Originally Posted by Kansas Ref

**like whoa, pump your brakes "justcoach" & "SCO"...if you read the prelude to my query you would see that it has Nothing to do with 'ego' or anything, it's just a simple question that addresses the impossibility of said score based on human error in the writing of said testing document.

There's no query or question in your original post.

[rockyroad]

Originally Posted by bob jenkins

I'm pretty sure all the questions are weighted equally, so I don't see how someone can get an "odd number" percent on a 50-question test.



There's no query or question in your original post.

Bob, didn't there used to be 2 parts to the test? 50 questions each?

And he did have a "Why?" in there...

Do any associations represented on here still use the test scores for ranking purposes? I believe the local association here still does.

[bob jenkins]

Originally Posted by rockyroad

Bob, didn't there used to be 2 parts to the test? 50 questions each?

And he did have a "Why?" in there...

Do any associations represented on here still use the test scores for ranking purposes? I believe the local association here still does.

We use test scores, but we use our own test, not the NFHS test.

[JRutledge]

Well if it makes anyone feel better, we take a state-issued test in Illinois and in Indiana we take the NF test. The Illinois test is like 25 questions out of anywhere from 60-70 tests.

I have gotten 100 a few times on the Illinois test. The last two years that I have taken the NF/Indiana test, I always miss one or two questions. Either way I only care about getting the most points allowed. I take no satisfaction in getting 100 or 96% if the result is the same.

Peace

[Nevadaref]

I have over twenty years as a HS basketball official.
I have probably scored 100% on the NFHS Part 1 exam 7 or 8 times.
Most of the time my score comes out around 98% due to the test-writing errors mentioned by the OP. The only way to deal with this is experience. Over the years one learns what the test-writer is aiming for with certain questions. Also, if your area issues an answer key afterward (they are also posted online by several groups), you can read through those and learn the intent of many of the strange test questions. Going forward, you will notice that several of the questions repeat and if you have a decent memory you can easily get them correct.

[Camron Rust]

Originally Posted by Nevadaref

I have over twenty years as a HS basketball official.
I have probably scored 100% on the NFHS Part 1 exam 7 or 8 times.
Most of the time my score comes out around 98% due to the test-writing errors mentioned by the OP. The only way to deal with this is experience. Over the years one learns what the test-writer is aiming for with certain questions. Also, if your area issues an answer key afterward (they are also posted online by several groups), you can read through those and learn the intent of many of the strange test questions. Going forward, you will notice that several of the questions repeat and if you have a decent memory you can easily get them correct.

I don't recall how many times I've scored 100% but I have. We need 90% of higher to qualify for post-season assignments. I typically get 97-98%.

Since improving my score 2-3% is of no benefit, I don't spend much time on the test and take the test quickly, in no more than 15-20 minutes. I read a question quickly and chose an answer, rarely reading the question a 2nd time. If the question just doesn't seem to make sense, I read it again with the mindset of trying to figure out what it was they could have been asking. I pick an answer and move on.

Of the ones I miss, it is, more often than not, because I read it wrong, not because you couldn't figure out the right answer. If I read it slower and double checked, I could probably get 100% more often, but it is of no value to me.

[BillyMac]

I've been taking the IAABO Refresher Exam (open book) for almost forty years, and I've never got 100% correct. Some problems are due to clerical or typographical errors in the creation of the test questions, or answer sheet, but most of my errors are not due to a lack of rules knowledge, but in my test taking skills, or lack of, i.e., not noticing a key word in the question that leads me down the wrong road, so that, afterward I say to myself, "Stupid BillyMac".

My goal every year is to get 100% correct. I'm not sure that I'll ever achieve it, in some cases due to poorly worded questions or wrong answer sheets, but in other cases due to my lack of attention to details.

[Rich]

I actually was able to look up exam records back to the 2008-09 season. So 11 seasons. We use Part I and Part II here.

NOTE: We take the tests "open book" here and I will look things up (usually in the electronic version of the book) as I go along.

I've only had 3 years where I didn't have at least one 100 score from the 2 exams. My lowest score was a 95. We're required to score a 90 to keep our certification (Master) level.

The NF test isn't always written well, but I can't be bothered to care if I score 100....or even 95....as long as I hit the 90 I need.

[BillyMac]

My local IAABO board is going to start to use something called RefSec, an online system that will allow us to make online payments of dues, fees, deposits, and fines.

It will also allow us to take the IAABO Refresher Exam and our local board Mechanics Exam online. Members will be required to take both the Refresher and Mechanics exams online, with the maximum of two attempts to reach a passing score of 84%. Those members who do not meet the 84% passing score in two attempts will need to attend a mandatory Refresher Exam meeting to be eligible to receive games for the upcoming season.

Big change for us because in the past these exams have never had anywhere near this amount of impact on our assignments, although attending an extra meeting with the rest of the "dummies" isn't too much of a penalty.