Blueprints and cut scores

What an exam measures, in what proportion, and the pass mark a panel can defend.

Weighted domains stop an exam being an arbitrary pile of questions
A defensible pass mark set item by item, not a round number
Timing and scoring are decided on the server — a candidate can never write their own result

The shape of an exam

```

Blueprint (role track, level)

├── Weighted domains → each a share of the exam, all summing to 100%

├── Form length → how many items a single sitting draws

└── Cut score → the pass mark, from the Angoff panel

```

Weighting the domains

Each domain is a share of the exam. The builder keeps the weights honest — they must total 100% before a blueprint can go to review — and shows, per domain, whether the item bank holds enough live items to fill a form. A blueprint whose bank is too thin is not shippable, and the screen says so.

Setting the cut score (Angoff-lite)

The pass mark is not guessed. For each item, an expert answers one question: what fraction of a just-barely-competent candidate would answer this correctly? The sum of those judgments is the cut score. A standard-error margin can lower it slightly when a panel disagrees — a documented choice, never a silent one.

Why nothing here can be gamed

Timing is the server's. The deadline is derived from when the attempt started; the browser only displays the time left.
Scoring is the server's. The client submits answers only — no score, no pass flag.
Submitting is idempotent. A double submit returns the first result.
Answer keys never leave the server. The exam client is handed the questions with every correct answer and rubric stripped out.

Publishing

Authors draft; only reviewers publish. A published blueprint is locked so its cut score cannot change under attempts already issued — clone it to a new version to make changes.

Frequently asked

What is a blueprint?

The specification for one exam: the domains it covers and the weight of each, plus the form length and the pass mark. Its weights must add up to 100%, so the exam mirrors the curriculum instead of the question author's preferences.

How is the pass mark set?

With an Angoff-lite panel. For every item, a subject-matter expert estimates the percentage of just-barely-competent candidates who would answer it correctly; the sum of those judgments is the cut score. It is a mark you can stand behind, not a default 70%.

Can someone cheat the timer or the score from their browser?

No. The deadline comes from the server and the browser only counts down to it — moving your system clock changes nothing. Scoring happens on the server after you submit, and submitting is idempotent: sending it twice returns the same result, never a re-grade.

Is a pass an accreditation?

No. It is a product certification, verified by Miatz. It is not accredited, and it is not a degree, diploma or university qualification. It says the holder demonstrated the competencies the blueprint measures.