Scores from Test 1

The scores from the first test were pretty good. The average score was 30.1 out of 35 (nearly 86%, my target is 80%) and a standard deviation of 3.5 (about 10%, which is my target).

So you should use the default scale as described on the syllabus, specifically:

A: 31.5 and higher
B: 28 - 31
C: 24.5 - 27.5
D: 21 - 24
F: 20.5 and lower.

There were 4 perfect papers (35 out of 35).

Please bear in mind, my grade book records only the raw score. That out of a possible 35 points is the weighting for the 20 percentage points which is the value of the exam.

e.g., if you scored 31.5 out of 35 then the amount of those 20 points you get is

= (31.5 / 35) x 20 = 18 points.

I do not record "grades" as the scale above describes. It is only a guideline. That said, you should NEVER say to me something along the lines of "I got an A on the first test and a B on the second test." You can say that to yourself and to your friends and to your mother, but saying you have an A on the first test is irrelevant for me. Why? Because what matters, ultimately, is the overall distribution of scores after all work and exams are completed.

Anyway, for most of you, keep up the good work. If you did not get as good of a score as you had hoped, you should reflect, first, on how much time and effort you put into studying. The class was warned that flipping through notes and casually reading the text does not do enough for the economics student. You must work on problems and know how to solve problems. I suspect those who did not score as high as they had hoped know they probably could have put forth more effort into studying the material. If you think you studied a lot and felt well prepared and then did not perform well, then you may need to visit me (your instructor) so that we can make sure you are functioning with good study strategies.