Reliability Issues in Standardized Assessment: A Study of the SSC English Examinations in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

Abstract

This research attempted to examine the reliability issues in the standardized assessment of the SSC English examinations in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Discrepancies in students’ achieved score on the examinations and their actual scores raise questions about the grading of the said English examinations. This study employed a survey with open-ended questions. The data were collected from students who scored 90% or above marks on the examinations through random sampling. The data were analyzed both qualitatively and quantitatively. The preliminary findings revealed a significant discrepancy between students' grades and their actual writing proficiency as identified through inter-rater grading. The study revealed a noticeable depreciation in inter-rater grading compared to the Board grades, thereby creating doubts about the reliability of the grading practices of the standardized English assessment. It is suggested that paper grading methods and techniques of board examinations are revisited.