ExamopotamiaStart from what passing should mean
Write one sentence: “Someone who passes can …”. A safety induction might need near-perfect knowledge of a few critical rules; a screening test for a sales role only needs to separate the clearly ready from the clearly not ready.
Sensible starting points
- Hiring screens: 60–70%. Use the score to decide who to interview, not who to hire.
- Course and training checks: 70–80%.
- Safety and compliance: 80–100%, and consider making some questions “must pass”.
The Angoff method, in plain language
Ask two or three experienced colleagues to imagine a person who is “just good enough”. For each question, each expert writes the chance (0–100%) that this person would get it right. Average the numbers for each question, then average across all questions. The result is your pass mark, built from the content of your test rather than a guess.
Check it against real results
After the first group, look at who passed and who didn’t. If people you know are capable are failing, check the hardest questions for unclear wording before lowering the bar. If nearly everyone passes, the test may be too easy to tell people apart.
Turn the percentage into points
Pass marks are easiest to explain in questions: with 40 questions and a 70% pass mark, a person needs 28 right and can miss 12. Our test score calculator does this for any test.
Be consistent and transparent
Use the same pass mark for everyone taking the same test, write down how you chose it, and tell people in advance roughly what is expected. That is fairer, and easier to defend if a result is questioned.