%0 Conference Proceedings
%A Holt, A.
%D 2006
%T An Analysis of Negative Marking in Multiple-Choice Assessment
%E Mann, S.
%E Bridgeman, N.
%B 19th Annual Conference of the National Advisory Committee on Computing Qualifications
%C Wellington, New Zealand
%I NACCQ in cooperation with ACM SIGCSE
%P 115-118
%@ ISSN 1176-8068
%U www.naccq.ac.nz
%8 7th-10th July 2006
%X This paper examines guessing strategies in multiplechoice
assessments. It first looks at the likelihood of
achieving a pass score given that the student has no
knowledge of the subject area and adopts a pure guessing
strategy. Then an analysis of negative marking schemes,
as a means of discouraging guessing, is presented and
used in order to examine the trade-offs between taking a geuss and not answering a question. 
The analysis shows that with a negative marking scheme
the benefits/detriments of guessing depend upon the
severity of the penalty of an incorrect answer relative to
level of reward for a correct answer and the number
options from which the students have to choose. From this
analysis it is possible to calibrate the marking scheme and establish fair penalties.
%K  Multiple-choice assessment, negative marking, guessing strategies.