Statistics on the 2014 Bar Examinations
(Part 11)
by
Thads Bentulan
thadsbentulan@gmail.com
Statistics
of the 2014 Bar
Finally, let us
discuss some statistics of the 2014 bar. What is the importance of these data?
This histogram shows exactly how difficult the exam is, as shown by the group’s
performance, and how the examinees’ scores are distributed. For example, it
show us that only 114 people of the 5,984 (1.91%) obtained a score of 80 and
above. Can you imagine that? Did you pass the 2014 bar? Use these data to gauge
your ranking.
Pip
First, let me
introduce the concept of a pip. Simply put, a “pip” is the term given to the
smallest increment of the grade, which in the case of the Supreme Court’s
system, is equivalent to a 0.01 increment. You may visualize a pip as a stair-step.
There is nothing lesser than a pip because like the stair-step, it is the
smallest gap between grades. In other usage, a pip could be 100 or 0.50; a pip
isn’t a fixed number, it merely refers to the minimum jump from one step to
another.
Since the Supreme
Court fixes the grade to the second decimal place, each grade movement or
increment is by a quantum of 0.01. For example, if a person’s grade is 79.00,
while the passing grade is 73.00, then that person is 600 pips above the
passing grade. Wow! That’s 600 steps higher than the minimum required by the
Supreme Court. That’s a great extra performance. He could have donated that 600
pips to 600 people who got only 72.99, being only 1 pip away from the passing
grade. The small single increment of 0.01 grade points can actually make or
break a legal career.
Another example, if
the 1st placer has a grade of 85.50 while the 10th placer
has a grade of 83.95, then the gap between them is 1.55 in grade points, which
is actually 155 x 0.01. Remember that the smallest increment is 0.01.
Therefore, in terms of pips, the gap between them is 155 pips because there are
155 counts of 0.01 increments between the 1st placer and the 10th
placer.
(End of Part 11)
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