Credibility as PT3 Grader Doubted


'As a PT3 grader,' reminded my Ketua Panatia a week before the PT3 examination, "you should grade exam scripts with integrity.'

PT3 was implemented to replace PMR in October 2014 and everything started from scratch.

Let us study the continuum of the school-based examination, which ranges from the downloading of a randomly picked exam paper from the MOE website, the printing of the exam paper, the appointment of invigilators, the grading of student scripts by subject teachers, the moderation of scores by the head of the department to the validation of scores by the regional assessor. It is meticulous, time-consuming and tedious.

To my chagrin, my grading was considered under par by the regional assessor, who censured me for being too lenient with some students. All this while, before PT3, I had been rather strict in grading. However, during the moderation of scores, my Panatia frowned at some low scores of my students and advised me not to be too strict. I regraded the papers by going easy on the red pen. I did not realize that I had overdone it, and during the validation stage, I came under fire for failing to meet the benchmarking standards. I ended up regrading all my papers and after three days, I submitted the scripts to my Panatia and the regional assessor for final validation. To my relief, they acknowledged the grades.

Once again this year, I will be appointed as a grader. I hope I will not make a blunder of myself again.

Comments

suituapui said…
I would say that it is not your credibility that is in question but everybody else's. Is every teacher properly and adequately trained to grade? Is there any kind of coordination and grade review...or is it simply a free for all?

Not surprised everyone is asked to be lenient - all want good scores for their own schools and students, that's only natural. But there goes the validity of the whole assessment practice.

I was involved in marking papers before I retired...and despite all the stringent measures, there were still "the ones that got away".

Do your best. As the line of a song goes, "If you can't please everybody, you gotta please yourself."
January 9, 2015 at 5:49 PM
sintaicharles said…
Thanks for your sharing on your experience. At times I find it quite difficult to stay consistent.
Despite her emphasis on standard grading, the regional assessor overlooked some glaring errors in a 29/30 script(a colleague's student). One of the examples is 'onslaught of the Library Club, I would like to deliver a speech on the benefits of reading'.
January 9, 2015 at 8:20 PM
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