Cutscore

A cutscore, also known as a passing score or passing point, is a single point on a score continuum that differentiates between classifications along the continuum. The most common cutscore, that many are familiar with, is a score that differentiates between the classifications of "pass" and "fail" on a professional or educational test.

Setting a cutscore

Many tests with low stakes set cutscores arbitrarily; for example, an elementary school teacher my require students to correctly answer 60% of the items on a test to pass. However, for a high-stakes test with a cutscore to be legally defensible and meet the Standards for Educational and Psychological Testing, the cutscore must be set with a formal standard-setting study or equated to another form of the test.