Every Nigerian school that uses continuous assessment has to answer the same question before the term begins: how should the marks be split between CA and the exam? Some schools use 30 for CA and 70 for the exam. Others use 40 and 60. Some split CA into several tests and projects. There is no single correct answer, but there are good ways to choose, and bad ways to get into arguments.
This post helps you decide, and explains how to make the split clear to teachers and parents.
What the split is for
A split decides how much of a pupil's final score comes from work done during the term, and how much comes from the end-of-term exam.
- A larger CA share rewards steady work, and it is kinder to pupils who get nervous in exams. It also protects against a single bad day.
- A larger exam share is harder to cheat, and it is closer to how external exams work.
Most schools land somewhere between the two. A 30 and 70 split is very common. A 40 and 60 split is common in schools that want to reward the term's work more strongly.
Questions to ask before you choose
- What age are the pupils? Younger pupils are often better judged through classwork and projects than a single long paper, so a bigger CA share makes sense. Senior classes preparing for external exams usually have a larger exam share.
- Can your teachers really run fair CA? CA only helps if tests and assignments are marked consistently. If teachers do not have time to mark carefully, a large CA share spreads unfairness through the whole result.
- Do you have a way to supervise the exam? A large exam share needs a proper exam environment.
- What do parents expect? If most parents compare your report card with other schools, a familiar split helps.
What counts as CA
Decide, in writing, what makes up the CA marks. A common structure for a 30-mark CA looks like this:
| Part | Marks |
|---|---|
| First test | 10 |
| Second test | 10 |
| Assignment, project or classwork | 10 |
You could instead use three smaller tests, attendance or participation, or practical work in subjects such as Computer Studies and Agriculture. What matters is that every teacher in the school uses the same parts for the same class, so a pupil is not treated differently because of the teacher.
Keep it the same across the school
A frequent source of complaints is one subject giving 20 for CA and another giving 40. Parents compare, and they are right to ask why. Set the split once, per class level, and make it the rule. If a practical subject really needs a different split, explain why in writing.
Write the maximum score for every part
A teacher who marks a test out of 25 when the school has said 10 will cause confusion later. Tell teachers the maximum for each component, and ask them to convert marks before they enter them. Rounding rules should be clear too: do you round up at 0.5?
Avoid changing the split during the term
Changing the split after pupils have started working is a surefire way to create distrust. If you must change it, do it at the start of a session, tell the parents, and apply it to every class affected.
Tell parents what the split is
Put it on the report card, in a line such as "CA 30 marks, Exam 70 marks, Total 100". Parents who see it every term stop asking.
How a split works with a computer-based exam
Some schools run the objective part of the exam on computers and the theory part on paper. The two parts are then added together to make the exam score. If you do this, decide how many marks go to each part and make sure the combined total matches the exam share in your split.
Frequently asked questions
What is a good CA and exam split?
There is no single correct answer. A split of 30 for CA and 70 for the exam is very common, and 40 and 60 is common in schools that want to reward the term's work more strongly. Choose by the age of your pupils, how fairly your teachers can run CA, and how well you can supervise exams.
What counts as CA?
Decide in writing. A common structure for 30 marks is two tests of 10 marks and an assignment, project or classwork for 10 marks. Whatever you choose, every teacher should use the same parts for the same class.
Can I change the split in the middle of the term?
Avoid it. Changing the split after pupils have started working creates distrust. If you must change it, do it at the start of a session, tell the parents and apply it to every class affected.
Should every subject use the same split?
Set the split once for each class level and make it the rule, because parents compare subjects. If a practical subject really needs a different split, explain why in writing.
How do I set the score split in StudyPat?
Choose it under Score split. You can pick a ready-made option such as CA 30 and Exam 70 with one click, or set your own parts and maximum marks. Teachers then enter each pupil's marks against those parts.
How StudyPat handles it
In StudyPat you choose how a subject's marks are split under Score split. You can pick a ready-made option such as CA 30 and Exam 70 with one click, or set your own parts and maximum marks. Teachers then enter each pupil's marks against those parts from their phone, and the system adds them to a total, works out the grade and the position, and places the result on the report card. Changing a split for the next term does not rewrite last term's results.
If you are setting up your school, the score split step takes about a minute.