Determining the Percentage of Pupils Who Passed a Mathematics Test

When dealing with test results, it's essential to understand how to calculate the percentage of pupils who passed a certain threshold. This example illustrates the process using a specific scenario involving a mathematics test at a school class.

Scenario Setup

In a class of 25 pupils, the results of a recent mathematics test were analyzed. Specifically, 11 pupils scored below 50 marks, while the remaining pupils scored 50 marks or above. The passing mark for the test was set at 50. The question at hand is: what is the percentage of pupils who passed the test?

Calculation Steps

First, let's determine the number of pupils who scored 50 marks or above:

1. **Total number of pupils**: 25

2. **Pupils who scored below 50**: 11

Giving us:

Pupils who passed Total pupils - Pupils who scored below 50

Pupils who passed 25 - 11 14

Next, we calculate the percentage of pupils who passed the test:

Percentage of pupils who passed (Number of pupils who passed / Total number of pupils) * 100

(14 / 25) * 100 56%

Therefore, 56% of the pupils passed the test.

Understanding Percentage Calculation

The formula for percentage calculation is crucial in various fields, including education. A percentage is a fraction of a whole expressed as a number out of 100. The total number of pupils in this example is considered the whole, and the formula used is a general method to find a percentage from part to whole.

General Formula

The percentage of pupils who passed can be universally represented by:

Passing Rate (Pupils who passed / Total number of pupils) * 100

In the given example, this formula simplifies to:

Passing rate (25 - pupils who scored below 50) / 25 * 100

This method of calculation can be applied to any scenario with a defined threshold for passing a test or examination.

Conclusion

Understanding how to calculate the passing rate is a fundamental skill in evaluating test results and can be applied in various educational and professional contexts. The ability to interpret test results accurately is key to making informed decisions regarding student performance.

By following the steps outlined above, educators and assessors can easily determine the percentage of pupils who passed a test. This information is valuable for tracking improvement, setting benchmarks, and providing support where necessary.