<p>@blueroses
Thanks! </p>
<p>@blueroses - Here is last year’s data:</p>
<p>Total Score Results (out of
a possible 208 total points)
Average score: 100.28
Highest score (one student): 164
Cutoff score (one student): 139.34</p>
<p>why could there be a score with .34?</p>
<p>Wait, but given part A is 60 points and B is 120, then the open ended was only 28?</p>
<p>@blueroses67 - Chemistry and Physics Olympiads recognize top 150 students of the semifinal exam. Math recognizes top 250 at the usajmo level and another 250 at the usamo level. It is so harsh on students when they wind up with nothing after putting their heart and soul onto this exam and find out that they are not at the top 20. Could you please talk to Kathy Frame and get her to recognize the top 150 or 200 usabo students also? It does not take too much effort for CEE programmers to generate the top 150. Please…</p>
<p>I too. believe this is a large problem.
Especially for those that miss the cutoff by just a few points, what’s to say that those that did make it are that much better than them and spent that much more time than them.
It really cheats a lot of people of the recognition they deserve, and if not a top 150 there should be at least a top 50. Especially in a competition out of several THOUSAND bright students, any placing within double digits is already around 1st percentile and warrants appropriate recognition.
Also as abacus said, it doesn’t take that much effort at all does it? Perhaps some sort of certification or an extended list of high placers might be issued. It really could make a difference in the all-or-nothing mentality of USABO and the stigma that if you don’t make CAMP, it counts for nothing at all (besides the hovering thought that you \almost/ made it). </p>
<p>@lucky - I think they remove questions after the exam is administered (I think there were originally 240 points but then 32 questions were thrown out). </p>
<p>what is that normal??
if they have to throw out more than 10% of the test after it is taken then they should do a better job during question selection, otherwise test takers may be spending more time on questions that don’t count rather than the ones that do.
man CEE should really be living up to their standards more, especially on a national olympiad test. </p>
<p>Guys is is true that some of the answers in the answer key for some years are wrong? </p>
<p>@Lucky139 - very tue. Why can’t CEE have better standards for the question selection?</p>
<p>Me lads, looks like part C got me this time…</p>
<p>I’m not entirely sure how the points are assigned, but I do know that questions aren’t tossed out that often. I was a proofreader / writer for last year’s semis, as were several of the other old USABOers that show up here, and we didn’t screw the pooch on a full 10% of the questions. (We did have to throw out a genetics question that got mis-edited into unanswerability, but that was it.)</p>
<p>Also keep in mind that the answer keys that are circulating around the internet are not the official ones. (CEE is still not pleased that the tests are available at all, as they’d hoped to re-use questions, though I think we’ve finally convinced them it’s a lost cause.) Don’t take them as infallible.</p>
<p>I do like the idea of having a “top 10% on semis” or something similar as an official designation. I’ll bring it up with the management.</p>
<p>@blueroses67 , thanks so much if you could do that!
@chessNBio , word up. i feel ya lol</p>
<p>I swear some of the words in part C changed between the first and second times i looked at them. </p>
<p>@blueroses67 - If you could convince CEE to designate the top 10% starting from this year, it will be great! Otherwise, it will be too late for students like me.</p>
<p>just took it. message me if you want to discuss… sigh i failed lol</p>
<p>Same position as @abacus1. </p>
<p>@tebio235, some people haven’t taken it yet so please don’t tell them questions/answers and give them an unfair advantage.</p>
<p>@Audrae yeah i will make them prove that they took it, do not fear </p>
<p>@tebio235 okay but make sure they can really prove it. You don’t want to decrease your own chances!</p>
<p>Wait. So if there were a total of 245 points, then is the cutoff expected to be approximately 160 this year, or are they going to throw out some questions, and make it like last year? </p>