The scaled score allows candidates to know how they performed in relation to the passing standard of 500. Exam takers who do not pass an exam part automatically receive a Detail of Performance report within 2 to 3 weeks of their exam. The report is provided at no additional charge and shows performance by topic for the exam part that was taken. This information helps candidates identify subject matter areas where further study is needed. Individual questions are not weighted in the sense that one question is worth more points than another question.
All questions are of equal point value.
When a candidate takes an exam, a set of questions is randomly selected. Each question, included in the set of questions, has a difficulty rating that, together with all the other questions, determines the relative difficulty of that particular set of questions. This relative difficulty determines the number of questions that must be answered correctly in order to pass. A relatively difficult exam will require fewer correct items than an easier exam. There is no penalty for incorrect answers.