OAE Test Results and Passing Scores

The Ohio Assessments for Educators (OAE) is a series of required licensing exams for new teacher candidates in the state of Ohio. If you’re looking to become certified to teach in Ohio, you will need to take anywhere from one to three OAE tests to earn your teaching license. These tests are not easy, but one of the easiest ways to improve your score is to get more information about the test. This article will discuss how the OAE is scored, when you will get your OAE test results, how to interpret your score report, and how difficult your exam is to pass. So let’s get started with the basics.

How Are the OAE Exams Scored?

OAE exam scores are scaled, which ensures that differences between test forms do not affect the final score. Both the fraction of correctly answered multiple-choice questions and the holistic evaluation of constructed-response questions are included in the raw score. Then the raw score is converted to a scaled score between 100 and 300, with 220 or better being a passing score. The calculations for scaling take into account the difficulty of each question and variations between each test (number of questions, types of questions, etc.). Because each OAE exam subject is scaled independently, comparing scaled scores is only useful between tests of the same subject. For example, a score of 225 on OAE: Chemistry is not equivalent to a score of 225 on OAE: English Language Arts.

Multiple-choice questions are scored by awarding one point for each correct answer and zero points for incorrect answers. Points are not deducted for incorrect answers, so make sure to answer every question. The multiple-choice subscore makes up 70% to 80% of the final scaled score.

Constructed-response questions are scored on a 3-point or 4-point scale. Each response will be scored separately by two people and the final score is the sum. The constructed-response subscore makes up 20% to 30% of the final scaled score. While many test-takers want to know how many questions you can miss and pass the OAE, with weighted scoring, this becomes difficult. We generally find that it’s better to focus on answering the test questions to the best of your ability.

How Long Does It Take To Get OAE Scores?

OAE test results will be sent through email and to the OAE portal that you used to register. Score reports are generally released two to three weeks after the test date, and they will remain in the online account for two years. A full and up-to-date list of score report release dates can be found on the Ohio Assessments for Educators website.

What Score Do You Need To Pass the OAE Test?

You need a score of 220 or higher to pass the OAE tests. The bar for a passing score is set by the State Board of Education of Ohio.

How Long Do You Have To Wait Before You Can Retake an OAE Exam?

You are only allowed to register for an OAE exam one time per testing window. The waiting period before you can retake an exam is a minimum of 30 days. The full retake policy can be found on the Ohio Assessments for Educators website.

How Do You Interpret an OAE Score Report?

The OAE score report indicates a status of “Pass” or “Did Not Pass” based on the scaled score of each assessment. If you receive a “Did Not Pass,” use the information on the score report to guide your study plan before retaking the test.

Knowing how to interpret the OAE score report will help you to understand your strengths and weaknesses in different areas. OAE score reports also give “performance indices” for each domain of the assessment and for both multiple-choice and constructed-response questions. For multiple-choice questions, 4 stars are awarded when performance is well above the minimum passing score and 1 star when performance is well below the minimum passing score. For constructed-response questions, 4 stars represent a response that demonstrates thorough understanding, and 1 star is given to responses that reflect little or no understanding. More information on understanding assessment results can be found on the Ohio Assessments for Educators website.

How Hard Is It To Pass an OAE Exam?

The difficulty of an OAE exam depends on a lot of factors. Your individual academic and professional background, how effectively you have studied for the OAE, and your mind-set on test day can all contribute to making a test seem harder or easier. However, passing rate statistics from previous years can give some indication of the exam difficulty. In 2015-2016, 80% of test-takers passed the OAE pedagogy assessments (001, 002, 003, 003). Passing rates for subject tests are generally lower: Art (006) = 64%; Biology (007) = 52%; English Language Arts (020) = 67%. However, for some subjects the passing rate is very high: Early Childhood Education (012) = 87%; ESOL (021) = 87%; Health (023) = 87%.

The OAE website has more statistics and information about scoring for each specific test on their website, and 240 Tutoring is here with more OAE practice tests  to help you pass the OAE exam.

Remember that it is possible to fail an exam even if it has a high passing rate. Always make sure to follow a OAE study plan and prepare effectively before test day. We’re rooting for you!