Overview

Penalty scoring deducts a value from the learner's score for each incorrect response on a Question, and is set by the author in the Question editor.

Penalty scoring is available on all auto-scored Question types, in the 'more options' section of the Question editor.

Penalty scoring can behave differently, depending on the scoring type used in the Question.

By default, penalty points cannot reduce a learner's score below 0. However, when the allow_negative_score initialization option is enabled, penalty points can reduce the score below 0, resulting in a negative Question score.

Penalty Scoring with Exact Match

Single correct answer Questions

Remember: When a Question has only one correct answer, Exact match awards the learner the Question score when the correct answer is selected. If an incorrect answer is selected, the learner receives a score of 0.

When multiple response selection is disabled

For example:

• The score for the Question is 5.
• The penalty score is 2.
• Choice A is the only correct answer.

In this case:

• Selecting the correct answer awards the learner the full Question score. Selecting Choice A awards 5/5.

  

• Selecting an incorrect option awards 0/5 when allow_negative_scores is disabled.

  

• Selecting an incorrect option awards -2/5 when allow_negative_scores is enabled (the learner receives 0 for the incorrect response, and the penalty points are applied below zero, resulting in a negative score for the Question).

  

When multiple response selection is enabled

For example:

• The score for the Question is 5.
• The penalty score is 2.
• Choice A is the only correct answer.

In this case:

• Selecting only Choice A awards 5/5.

  

• Selecting Choice A and one or more incorrect options awards 0/5 when allow_negative_scores is disabled (Exact match requires only the correct option to be selected).

  

• Selecting Choice A and one or more incorrect options awards -2/5 when allow_negative_scores is enabled (the response does not meet the Exact match criteria and the penalty points are applied below zero).

  

• Selecting only incorrect options awards 0/5 when allow_negative_scores is disabled (the response does not contain the correct answer).

  

• Selecting only incorrect options awards -2/5 when allow_negative_scores is enabled (the learner receives 0 for the incorrect response and the penalty points are applied below zero, resulting in a negative score for the Question).

  

Multiple correct answer Questions

Remember: Exact match requires the learner to select all correct response options in a Question to receive the score, otherwise they will receive a score of 0.

In the example below:

• The score for the Question is 3.
• The penalty score is 3.
• Choice A, Choice B, and Choice C are the correct answers.
• Selecting Choice D, either on its own or alongside other options, will give the learner a score of 0/3.
• If one or more incorrect options are selected, the configured penalty score is deducted from the Question score. By default, the score cannot be reduced below 0. If allow_negative_scores is enabled, the penalty score may reduce the final score below 0.

Selecting Choice A, Choice B, and Choice C will award the learner with a mark of 3/3. Selecting Choice D alongside these options will deduct 3 points from the overall score, leading to a final score of 0/3 when allow_negative_scores is disabled, or -3/3 when allow_negative_scores is enabled.

Selecting Choice A and Choice B will award the learner with a score of 0/3, because we are using Exact match scoring. This means that choosing Choice D, an incorrect option, will not affect the score of 0 when allow_negative_scores is disabled. If allow_negative_scores is enabled, selecting Choice D will apply the penalty score, resulting in a final score of -3/3.

Selecting only correct response options will award the learner with a score of 3/3.

Penalty Scoring with Partial Match per Response

Single correct answer Questions

Remember: When a Question has only one correct answer, Partial Match per Response awards the learner the Question score when the correct answer is selected. If an incorrect answer is selected, the learner receives a score of 0.

When multiple response selection is disabled

For example:

• The score for the Question is 5.
• The penalty score is 2.
• Choice A is the only correct answer.

In this case:

• Selecting the correct answer awards the learner the full Question score. Selecting Choice A awards 5/5.

  

• Selecting an incorrect option awards 0/5 when allow_negative_scores is disabled.

  

• Selecting an incorrect option awards -2/5 when allow_negative_scores is enabled (the learner receives 0 for the incorrect response, and the penalty points are applied below zero, resulting in a negative score for the Question).

  

When multiple response selection is enabled

For example:

• The score for the Question score is 5.
• The penalty score is 2.
• Choice A is the only correct answer.

In this case:

• Selecting only the correct option i.e. Choice A awards 5/5.
• Selecting Choice A and any one incorrect option awards 3/5 (5 points are awarded for the correct answer and 2 points are deducted for the incorrect answer).
• Selecting Choice A, Choice B, and Choice C awards 1/5 (5 points are awarded for the correct answer and 4 points are deducted for the two incorrect answers).

• Selecting all options awards 0/5 when allow_negative_scores is disabled (5 points are awarded for the correct answer and 6 points are deducted for the three incorrect answers; scores cannot be reduced below 0).

  

• Selecting all options awards -1/5 when allow_negative_scores is enabled (5 points are awarded for the correct answer and 6 points are deducted for the three incorrect answers).

  

• Selecting only incorrect options awards 0/5 when allow_negative_scores is disabled (no points are awarded because the correct answer was not selected, and scores cannot be reduced below 0).

• Selecting only incorrect options awards -6/5 when allow_negative_scores is enabled (no points are awarded because the correct answer was not selected, and 6 penalty points are applied for the three incorrect answers).

  

Multiple correct answer Questions

Remember: Partial Match per Response will award the learner points for each correct answer they submit on the same Question. The value of each correct answer will match the value entered in the Points field in the scoring section of the Question editor.

In the example below:

• The score for the Question is 3.
• The penalty score is 3.
• Choice A, Choice B, and Choice C are the correct answers.
• Selecting Choice D, either on its own or alongside other options, will deduct 3 points from the overall Question score.
• When allow_negative_scores is disabled (default), the minimum score for the Question is 0. When allow_negative_scores is enabled, penalty points can reduce the score below 0.

Selecting only the correct options will give the learner a score of 9/9 (each option is worth 3 points).

Selecting only some of the correct options will award the learner 3 points per response, in this case Choice A and Choice B are correct so the learner receives 6/9.

Selecting the three correct options will award the learner 9/9 (as each response option is worth 3 points), but selecting a wrong answer alongside the three correct answers in this case will deduct 3 points from the overall score. The learner will receive a score of 6/9 in this example.

In this example, selecting two out of three correct answers will award the learner with 6 points out of 9. However, the learner has also selected an incorrect answer (Choice D) so they have been deducted 3 points, leading to an overall score of 3/9.

When the learner selects only the incorrect option, Choice D. No points are awarded because no correct answers have been selected. The learner is deducted 3 points for selecting the incorrect option, leading to a score of 0/9 when allow_negative_scores is disabled.

the learner selects only the incorrect option, Choice D. No points are awarded because no correct answers have been selected. The learner is deducted 3 points for selecting the incorrect option, leading to a score of -3/9 when allow_negative_scores is enabled.

Penalty Scoring with Partial Match

Single correct answer Questions

Remember: When a Question has only one correct answer, Partial Match awards the learner the Question score when the correct answer is selected. If an incorrect answer is selected, the learner receives a score of 0.

When multiple response selection is disabled

For example:

• The score for the Question is 5.
• The penalty score is 2.
• Choice A is the only correct answer.

In this case:

• Selecting the correct answer awards the learner the full Question score. Selecting Choice A awards 5/5.

  

• Selecting an incorrect option awards 0/5 when allow_negative_scores is disabled.

  

• Selecting an incorrect option awards -2/5 when allow_negative_scores is enabled (the learner receives 0 for the incorrect response, and the penalty points are applied below zero, resulting in a negative score for the Question).

  

When multiple response selection is enabled

For example:

• The score for the Question score is 5.
• The penalty score is 2.
• Choice A is the only correct answer.

In this case:

• Selecting only the correct option i.e. Choice A awards 5/5.
• Selecting Choice A and any one incorrect option awards 3/5 (5 points are awarded for the correct answer and 2 points are deducted for the incorrect answer).
• Selecting Choice A, Choice B, and Choice C awards 1/5 (5 points are awarded for the correct answer and 4 points are deducted for the two incorrect answers).

• Selecting all options awards 0/5 when allow_negative_scores is disabled (5 points are awarded for the correct answer and 6 points are deducted for the three incorrect answers; scores cannot be reduced below 0).

  

• Selecting all options awards -1/5 when allow_negative_scores is enabled (5 points are awarded for the correct answer and 6 points are deducted for the three incorrect answers).

  

• Selecting only incorrect options awards 0/5 when allow_negative_scores is disabled (no points are awarded because the correct answer was not selected, and scores cannot be reduced below 0).

• Selecting only incorrect options awards -6/5 when allow_negative_scores is enabled (no points are awarded because the correct answer was not selected, and 6 penalty points are applied for the three incorrect answers).

  

Because there is only one correct answer, Partial Match behaves the same as Partial Match per Response in this scenario.

Multiple correct answer Questions

Example 1

Remember: Partial Match will award the learner points for each correct answer they submit on the same Question. The value of each correct answer is calculated by taking the value entered in the Points field in the scoring section of the Question editor, and dividing that value by the number of correct options on the Question.

In the example below:

• The score for the Question is 3.
• The penalty score is 3.
• Choice A, Choice B, and Choice C are the correct answers.
• Partial Match scoring also applies to the penalty score, I.E. the penalty score is divided by the number of correct options on the Question.
• Therefore, selecting D, on its own or alongside other options, will deduct 1 mark from the overall Question score.
• When allow_negative_scores is disabled (default), the minimum score for the Question is 0. When allow_negative_scores is enabled, penalty points can reduce the score below 0.
• In this case, the rounding option doesn't make a difference.

Selecting only the correct options will award the learner a score of 3/3.

Selecting only some of the correct options will award the learner a score of 1 for each correct answer. In this case the learner receives a score of 2/3.

Selecting a mixture of correct and incorrect responses will both award and deduct points. In this example, the learner receives 1 mark for each correct answer (Choice A and Choice B), leading to a score of 2/3. The learner has also selected an incorrect answer, Choice D, which will deduct 1 mark from the score of 2/3. The learner's final score in this example is 1/3.

Selecting all of the correct responses will award the learner full points, 3/3. Selecting an incorrect option alongside these responses will deduct 1 mark from the overall score, leading to a score of 2/3.

When the learner selects only the incorrect option, Choice D. No points are awarded because no correct answers have been selected. Choice D deducts 1 point from the overall score, leading to a score of 0/3 when allow_negative_scores is disabled.

When the learner selects only the incorrect option, Choice D. No points are awarded because no correct answers have been selected. Choice D deducts 1 point from the overall score, leading to a score of -1/3 when allow_negative_scores is enabled.

Example 2

In the example below:

• The score for the Question is 3.
• The penalty score is 6.
• Choice A, Choice B, and Choice C are the correct answers.
• Again, remember that Partial Match scoring also applies to the penalty score, meaning the penalty score is divided by the number of correct options on the Question.
• Therefore, selecting D, on its own or alongside other options, will deduct 2 points from the overall Question score.
• The value of 2 points is calculated by applying Partial Match scoring to penalty score of 6, so each incorrect response will subtract 2 points.
• When allow_negative_scores is disabled (default), the minimum score for the Question is 0. When allow_negative_scores is enabled, penalty points can reduce the score below 0.
• In this case, the rounding option doesn't make a difference.

Selecting only the correct response options will lead to an overall score of 3/3, because each correct answer is worth 1 mark.

Selecting only some correct answers, but not all, will award the learner with 1 mark for each correct answer. In this case, Choice A and Choice B are correct, so the learner receives a score of 2/3.

Selecting a mixture of correct and incorrect options will both award and deduct the learner points. In this example, the learner receives 1 mark for the correct answer (Choice A), leading to a score of 1/3. Because Choice D has also been selected, 2 points will be deducted from the overall score, leading to a final score of 0/3 when allow_negative_scores is disabled, or -1/3 when allow_negative_scores is enabled.

In this example, a mixture of incorrect and correct options have been selected again. In this case, Choice A, Choice B, and Choice C all carry 1 mark each, leading to a score of 3/3. Because Choice D, an incorrect option, has also been selected, 2 points will be deducted from the overall score. The final score is 1/3.

When the learner selects only the incorrect option, Choice D. No points are awarded because no correct answers have been selected. Choice D deducts 2 points from the overall score, leading to a score of 0/3 when allow_negative_scores is disabled.

When the learner selects only the incorrect option, Choice D. No points are awarded because no correct answers have been selected. Choice D deducts 2 points from the overall score, leading to a score of -2/3 when allow_negative_scores is enabled.