Methods for curving test scores?

A little bit stressed out here, and I'm curious about how teachers curve test scores. Does anyone have any insight into the different methods teachers use to curve scores in order to make them more fair? Just want to understand the whole concept better.

I understand that test curving can be a bit confusing, but don't worry! There are several methods teachers use to curve test scores. Here's a quick breakdown of three common methods:

1. Linear scaling or uniform scaling: In this approach, a fixed number of points is added to every student's score to shift the entire grade distribution. For example, if the highest attainable score is 100 and the highest actual score is 85, the teacher might decide to add 15 points to everyone's score. This way, the student with the highest score gets a perfect 100, and every other student also gets an upward boost to be fair.

2. Proportional scaling: In this method, scores are adjusted by a fixed percentage rather than a fixed number of points. For example, let's say the teacher finds that the average class score is 60% and wants to increase it to 75%. In that case, the teacher might decide to multiply every student's score by a factor (e.g., 1.25 in this instance). Doing so will raise the average without shifting the relative ranking of students.

3. Bell curve or normalization adjustments: This method aligns the class performance to a normal or Gaussian distribution, which looks like a bell-shaped curve when plotted. Teachers calculate the mean and standard deviation of the test scores, then rescale the scores so that they fit the bell curve. Typically, this method adjusts grades such that a certain percentage of students falls into each grade category (e.g., a specific percentage gets A's, B's, and so on). This can be beneficial when a test proves unexpectedly difficult, as it ensures a more balanced grade distribution.

It's important to remember that different teachers and institutions might adopt different methods, or even a combination of them, depending on their grading philosophy and the specific situation. In the end, curving provides a way to address test difficulties, class performance, or both, and create a fairer evaluation for everyone.