“One should not rush to evaluate exam questions”.
These words were said by education researcher Elmin Nuri in “AzEdu podcast” while talking about the expected changes in graduation exams.
He stated that one should not rush when evaluating exam questions and this process should be based on statistical, scientific analyses:
“First of all, immediately after the graduation exams, numerous complaints about the questions are voiced on social networks. People complain about the difficulty of the questions and express various opinions. However, one should not rush to evaluate exam questions.
To determine the difficulty level of any question, it is necessary to rely on statistical and scientific analyses. These analyses are usually published after the exams are completed. Personally, when I get acquainted with these analyses, I see that the issues are investigated quite deeply. It is very important to get acquainted with this information.
To be honest, after the graduation exams for both 9th and 11th grades, opinions are always expressed on social networks that the questions were difficult. I am 35 years old and during my activity in this field, I have almost never met people who said that the questions were excellent after the exam. On the contrary, every time we hear opinions about the questions being of poor quality, difficult, or flawed.
In fact, it is possible to evaluate to some extent whether the exam is difficult or easy based on the results. For example, last year the number of applicants who scored maximum points in the graduation exams was higher. If I am not mistaken, this figure was more than 50. This year, however, that indicator was significantly lower”.
One of the main principles of testology is the correct distribution of questions according to their difficulty level:
“For example, if there are 30 questions in the exam, they should be divided into easy, medium, and difficult groups according to their difficulty level. Regardless of whether the number of questions is 15, 30, or 60, their distribution according to their difficulty level must be ensured. This is one of the main approaches applied not only in Azerbaijan but in testology in general.
I am not speaking to defend the position of the State Examination Center, the Ministry of Science and Education, or any other institution. My goal is to approach the issue scientifically and objectively. The essence of the matter is that the State Examination Center groups questions according to their difficulty level in accordance with the basic principles of testology. Today there is a unified education program. Within this program, content lines and content standards have been defined. The State Examination Center also prepares questions based on these standards.
Those who doubt this opinion can visit the official website of the Institute of Education of the Republic of Azerbaijan and examine the relevant curricula and content standards. Thus, they can also check for themselves on what standards the State Examination Center prepares the questions. The problem is that the preparation of students participating in the graduation exam is not always based on these content standards. As a result, students and parents suffer.
Imagine, I am a 9th or 11th-grade student. I don't know what content standards are, on what criteria questions should be prepared, which content lines are taken into account, and what consistency should be maintained between teaching and assessment.
If the student is unaware of these issues and the preparation process is not based on the relevant standards, it is not surprising that they face difficulties in the exam. In such a case, it would not be correct to approach the situation only from the perspective of the difficulty of the exam questions. The consistency of the teaching process, the preparation system, and the assessment criteria should also be carefully examined”.
