Composition of  Raw Score Matters

The composition of marks is important when deciding on if a student has gotten into his or her top choice. Imagine, three students, Peter, Sam and Anne all scoring the same raw score of 219 marks. Peter loses one (1) mark in Language, Sam loses one (1) mark in Math and Anne loses one (1) mark in Creative Writing.  

The table shows that although their Raw Scores are identical, the composite score reflects that Peter has scored the highest with 175.6, followed by Sam who made 175.3, then Anne is third with 174.3. Notice, Anne loses her only mark in Creative Writing but had her composite score most severely affected. Peter lost his only mark in Language Arts. His composite score was least affected. Sam, who lost his lone mark in Mathematics, was still manage to score a higher composite score than Anne, but not as much as Peter. This suggest that it less severe to lose a mark Language Arts. Losing a Mark in Creative Writing is most severe. 

The Difficulty of the S.E.A Test Matters

Often, students may complain of the exam items being either too difficult or surprisingly simple. These opinions do not necessarily mean that the child has taken the exam lightly and did not adequately perform. Entire tests or specific items may have higher difficulty indices. That is, generally students may do better or are able to answer more items in the 2015 S.E.A exam versus a subsequent year, for example S.E.A 2017.  
Generally a more difficult examination, favours the top performing student. It becomes easier to separate the lower performing students from those that excel. Student scores are spread apart. Conversely, an easier exam does immediately favour a top student. Instead it can create excessive competition. Many more students do well. Scores are condensed closer to each other. This makes it easier for a above average students to compete with excelling students.  

Your Composite Scores can be Affected by Other Scores.

This is an extension of previous section. A student’s composite score can be negatively affected by other competing scores even if those scores are below or above that student. As a result, very close marks can either cause composite score to reduce (if competing score is above) or would condense composites scores together (if competing score is just below your mark)
A student’s composite score can be negatively affected if many students score high marks. This cluster of top performing students displaces other top students out of a placement in a top tier school.
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Let's Talk Strategy

Passing for a top tier school is more of a strategic exercise than simply scoring higher than most as pupils with high marks are displaced by students with even higher marks. Top tier schools’ fill up their allotted places. This leaves zoning of students whose parents do not strategically choose schools of different tiers. The exam is marked in such a way that overall placement and marks is most affected by:

1. The overall number of students sitting the S.E.A exam
2. The difficulty of the exam
3. Which subject is done well.
4. How strategic the student is at studying and taking the test.
5. The strategic selection of school choices by parents. (more of this in a separate article)