Unanswered questions and scoring.

Question

I understood that marks are not deducted for unanswered questions.  However, I made no errors in a test but had 2 unanswered questions (1 in error) and I was deducted 0.6%.

I should be working on B1 and B2 but because I am only 2% short of 100% in A1, I have been determined to achieve that level.  Over time, I have done 12 tests with lots of ups and downs and am no nearer reaching 100%.  It is much easier to progress at B1 and B2 than it is at A1!!

Bien cordialement,
Beverley

Accepted Answer

Hi Beverley - sorry, I've only just seen this. I think we may have discussed this elsewhere in another thread, but just in case: there are conditions where Kwiziq scores can go down unexpectedly and we're aware that this can be very discouraging. I hope we can one day handle these conditions a little more transparently but a few things to bear in mind are:
1. The score is a measure of KwizBot's confidence in your knowledge, not the 'ground truth' about what you know. It's great to use it as a medium or long-term goal but don't take it too seriously over very short timescales such as each individual take. Kwizbot's algorithms are complex, and he does have off moments too. If you consistently get things right then he will grade you higher over time for sure.
2. Negatives vs zeros: a zero score from a skipped answer can still contribute to an average dropping if it replaces an older score that was positive. A small drop in this instance is expected and still better than a much bigger drop that an incorrect answer would have resulted in. Once again, that little dip just means Kwizbot lost a little confidence that you knew something which is normal if you skip answers. 
3. Aggregate scores for levels are calculated across the entire level(all topics and their constituents). We constantly improve and modify our content and so sometimes your aggregate scores can change without you doing anything at all. I'd love to make these events especially much clearer to users when they happen but just be aware it's possible. Again, focus on the longer game of scores over many kwizzes is the key to happiness, not each individual result.
4. A1 and A2 are definitely much harder to complete than B1 and B2. In fact, the levels contain almost twice the grammar content which you can see in the Brainmap view. There's a lot to learn at the start! Of course, grammar is just one view of a 'level', but that's what we're testing. C1 is tiny from a grammar perspective, but I'd say in reality C1 takes much longer to progress through in reality (and contains all the preceding levels, since they're 'additive') and C2, well, C2 never really ends... learning a language is a journey for life so make sure to enjoy it!
I just took a look at your achievements board. You've obviously been working very hard since you posted this! Well done. It's looking fantastic as is your Brainmap!
Courage et bonne continuation !
Gruff

Answer

Bonjour Beverly,
Postive scores indicate you have consistently answered correctly over time.  Your Kwiziq will gradually rise as you demonstrate to the system that you know a particular item well.  
Note that your previous performance in tests affects your current score, so it may take time for the system to be certain that you truly know something.
Negative Kwiziq scores indicate you have probably mislearned something or that you are making a transference error.  You'll only get negative scores over time if you consistently answer wrongly. And since negative scores subtract from positive ones, you should skip questions where you are not sure of the answers.
And here is a link to the Kwiziq scoring algorithm:
https://progress.lawlessfrench.com/faq/the-kwiziq-score
Ron

Answer

"You'll only get negative scores over time if you consistently answer wrongly. And since negative scores subtract from positive ones, you should skip questions where you are not sure of the answers."

That's what I did Ron.  I didn't answer any question wrongly.  Like I said, I made no errors, but missed out two questions, one in error and one because I wasn't sure, but my overall percentage was reduced.  It has happened before.  It is an aspect which has discouraged me.  I am aware of the marking system, I have been with Kwiziq from the start.   I understand being deducted marks for errors, but perhaps the statement about marks not being deducted if you skip questions should be reviewed.

Answer

I understand your discouragement.  I have gotten the C1 level completed and have now begun working on the lower levels to get the scoring up and on one of them, I overlooked a question, left it unanswered and it did reduce my overall score as well even though I had no incorrect responses.   I do not understand that myself.  I am like you, simply a Progress with Lawless French subscriber.  Perhaps Gruff can give us both an explanation.
Good luck and best wishes.