Article | Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America

The Impact of Penalties for Wrong Answers on the Gender Gap in Test Scores

by Katherine B. Coffman and David Klinowski

Abstract

Multiple-choice exams play a critical role in university admissions across the world. A key question is whether imposing penalties for wrong answers on these exams deters guessing from women more than men, disadvantaging female test-takers. We consider data from a large-scale, high-stakes policy change that removed penalties for wrong answers on the national college entry exam in Chile. The policy change reduced a large gender gap in questions skipped. It also narrowed gender gaps in performance, primarily among high-performing test-takers. Importantly, the gains are largely concentrated in domains characterized by historical female underrepresentation, including math, social science, and chemistry.

Keywords: Behavioral economics; standardized testing; Gender; Higher Education; Prejudice and Bias;

Format: Print Find at Harvard

Citation:

Coffman, Katherine B., and David Klinowski. "The Impact of Penalties for Wrong Answers on the Gender Gap in Test Scores." Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 117, no. 16 (April 21, 2020): 8794–8803.

About the Author

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Katherine B. Coffman
Assistant Professor of Business Administration
Negotiation, Organizations & Markets

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