Exam Policy

The Policy of the California PASS Program is to allow students one retake in case the exam is failed. The testing instrument is not for diagnostic purposes.

Even though it is understood that students using the program are usually behind in credits, this should not be the only criteria. The skills needed to complete a course should also be taken into consideration. If a student requires Algebra, it is advisable to determine if basic courses in math have been mastered before initiating such a course. It is extremely important to give students the opportunity to experience success and not insist in finishing a course for which they are not prepared.

When a student fails units 1, 2 and 3 in any given course, it is most likely an indicator that the content is not going to be mastered, therefore the student is going to be discouraged to continue working with the curriculum. It is advisable to re- assess the student's skills to ensure that a strategy is used to accomplish a positive outcome. Insisting that a student completes a course strictly based on credits needed, is not necessarily the best intervention to secure graduation.

Grading Policy: For any given course, if a student fails one unit exam twice, there is still an opportunity to pass the course. Here's how it works - the system will add the highest score of each of the five unit tests taken including the failed one. It then divides the total by 5 to get an average score per test. If that average is 60% or higher, then the student will earn the five-credit transcript. The only other stipulation is that the student must pass four of the five unit exams.

Students may take a PASS exam once they have completed their unit of study and the teacher of record has determined that the student is prepared to take it. Each exam consists of 50 questions. If the exam is taken electronically, it will post automatically. The Scantron exam is sent to the PASS Program Office where it is scored the same day it is received.

Once the exam is posted it becomes part of the official permanent record and cannot be deleted or changed. This policy is consistent with the accreditation agreement with Fresno Unified School District.

For Scantron users, the Grade Report is sent the following work day to the school's local contact person. The individual supervising the student's work shares the results of the exams. Each test grade is based on the following scale:

When a student completes a course with a grade of 60% or higher, a five-credit transcript that is sent to the school's registrar. Official transcripts cannot be faxed or emailed, the document is sent via US Postal Service, (see Issuing Credits).

Important!

It is critical that all student information on the exam (Scantron) be filled in completely and correctly. Not doing so will delay processing.

Recommendations

1. It is highly recommended that the local PASS contact person make a copy of each exam before sending it to the PASS Program Office. In the event that a test does not reach the PASS office, the local contact person can then resubmit the exam so that the student does not have to retake it. The grading machine can only read original Scantron forms. Therefore, any resubmitted Scantron must be re-marked onto an original form.

2. When the local contact person receives a PASS Grade Report, it is recommended that the exam results be reviewed to ensure that all submitted exams are accounted for. If any exam results are missing, the contact person should contact the PASS Program Office immediately. For accurate credit accrual management use software to follow the student's progress online.