Oman

Monitoring Student Progress in Mathematics and Science

The General Directorate of Educational Evaluation has prepared student assessment documents for every subject area at every grade level. These documents specify assessment arrangements and criteria. Assessment arrangements differ by grade level. Exhibit 4 presents assessment arrangements for Grades 1 to 12.

In Cycle One (Grades 1 to 4) schools, the focus is on internal formative and summative assessment using a broad range of evidence including oral presentations, projects, and short tests, coupled with evaluative information collated in student-led portfolios. No formal examinations are administered at this stage. Students receive an overall score out of 100 and a grade from A to E (A representing 90 percent to 100 percent and E representing 49 percent or lower).

The evaluation of student performance in Grades 5 to 12 (Cycle Two and post-basic) is based on an accumulation of results over the academic year, beginning in the first semester. Results from continuous assessment and an examination administered at the end of the first semester in January are collated into an overall grade out of 100 in each subject area.¹⁰ Overall grades below 50 are considered failing, and grades at or above 50 are considered passing. Examination and continuous assessment results from both semesters are weighted equally when calculating the overall average for the year. The examinations in Grades 5 to 9 are administered at the regional level, while those in Grades 10 to 12 are administered at the national level. The examination for Grade 12 is graded centrally, while the examinations for Grades 5 to 11 are graded by schools.

Exhibit 4: Assessment Arrangements

Grades	Examinations	Continuous Assessments	Scoring	Administration
1–4	–	100%	–	–
5–9	40%	60%	School level	Regional level
10	60%	40%	School level	National level
11	60%	40%	School level	National level
12	70%	30%	National level	National level

In Cycle One (Grades 1 to 4), students receive four report cards per year—three descriptive reports on student achievement in each subject identifying strengths and weaknesses and a final report card. The final report card is issued at the end of the school year and includes both letter grades and numeric grades for each subject. In Cycle Two and post-basic education (Grades 5 to 12), students receive four report cards per year, of which two are descriptive (one in the middle of each semester) and two present letter grades (A to E) and numeric grades for each subject (one at the end of each semester).

In Cycle One, there is no grade retention other than in exceptional cases. Students who receive a failing grade (E) continue to the next grade level with planned remedial help and an individual progress plan. In Grades 5 to 10, advancement to the next grade depends on the number of basic subjects passed or failed (i.e., Islamic, Arabic, English, mathematics, science, and social studies). Students who receive a failing grade in one, two, or three basic subjects must retake the corresponding examinations. Students who fail an examination retaken in one or more basic subjects must repeat the grade. Students with a grade average of E across the two semesters in more than three basic subjects do not have the option of retaking examinations and must repeat the grade. Students who repeat a grade and then again fail one or more of the basic subjects at the end of the year are permitted to progress to the next grade level with a remedial plan in place.

Plans have been developed to establish a National Centre of Educational Evaluation and Examination that will be responsible for the delivery of a robust assessment and qualifications system through the production of valid and reliable assessment instruments supported by quality statistical analysis and research capabilities and an online platform for assessment.