Article
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences

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

By: Katherine B. Coffman and David Klinowski

Format:Print

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

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 117, no. 16 (April 21, 2020): 8794–8803.