Here is some general information about exam scoring:
- There is no penalty for guessing. If you choose an incorrect answer, you simply do not earn a point for that item. No points are deducted for incorrect answers. This is subject to change as IACVS continues to introduce new and innovative question types.
- Every question incorrectly answered will be scored 0 (Zero), every question not attempted will be scored 0 (Zero), every applicant score is prepared. And the highest score from that batch / exam day is picked. Every Applicant score is compared to the highest score of that batch / exam day and the pass mark is calculated by considering 70% of that highest score to be the passing score for that batch / exam day and the Applicants pass or fail result is analyzed and report is prepared.
- If a question specifies that you must choose multiple correct answers, you must choose all of the correct answers in order to earn a point for that item. This is subject to change as IACVS continues to introduce new and innovative question types.
- Some questions on the exam may not be included in the calculation of your score. To gather data to update and improve the quality of each exam, we present new content to applicants without counting the results toward their score. However, as soon as we have the necessary data to evaluate the quality of the question, it will be scored. IACVS will not inform applicants as to which questions are unscored; as a result, you should answer every question as if it will be scored.
Your scaled score and pass/fail status: Exams are scaled so that a passing score is 70% of the highest score of that batch. Any score of 70% of the highest score of that batch or greater is a "pass." Any score below 70% of the highest score of the batch is a "fail." Different passing scores do not reflect different levels of applicant’s knowledge. Because of the way IACVS sets the cut score, we cannot guarantee that an applicant who scores 90% of the highest score is more knowledgeable in the exam's topic area than an applicant’s who scores 80% of the highest score. We can only say that both applicants are qualified. The same is true for failing scores. An applicant that scores 40% of the highest score is not necessarily less knowledgeable in the exam's topic area than an applicant who scores 60% of the highest score. In this case, both applicants fail to meet the minimum qualifications for the certification. This is why your exam scores do not conclude you’re knowledgeable.
Each item or answer is worth one point, regardless of what you have to do to answer the question. This is subject to change as IACVS continues to introduce new and innovative question types.
No. Points are not deducted for incorrect answers; if you answer incorrectly, you will simply not earn the point associated with answering correctly. This is subject to change as IACVS continues to introduce new and innovative question types. However any changes to the exam formats or scoring pattern will be updated timely on this site.
IACVS is committed to continually updating exam content and utilizing innovative testing techniques. Our goal is to increase the relevance of our exams, offer a more comprehensive and valuable certification, and ensure the security of exam content. To gather the data needed to update and improve the quality of exams, we present new content to applicants without counting the results toward their score. As soon as we have the necessary data to evaluate the quality of the question, it will be scored. IACVS will not inform applicants about which questions are unscored; as a result, you should answer every question as if it will be scored.
No, it does not indicate an error. It is not uncommon for applicants to obtain similar or identical scores on multiple attempts of an exam. Receiving the same score on multiple attempts does not indicate that the program computing the results is in error.
In some cases, you might experience a delay of up to a minute while your next question loads. The exam delivery provider’s software is designed to accommodate this event. A delay between questions does not impact the responses you have recorded or the time remaining to finish the exam. Your exam will be scored correctly regardless of delays between questions.
No. To help protect exam content and, moreover, the value of IACVS Certifications, we cannot share information about which items you missed. This is a standard practice in the certification industry. The bars on the score report show your relative performance in the various subject areas covered by the exam. If you do not pass an exam, review your score report in conjunction with the preparation material. Focus on obtaining and practicing the skills in the areas where you had the weakest exam performance.
