# PTE HCS #9: Business School Grading Adjustments

Highlight Correct Summary #9 - Level 3 - Feeds Reading + Listening

> You will hear a recording. Choose the paragraph that best summarizes it.

- Since 2007, the education of business students has been improving but this has not been reflected in the grades that they are achieving. Business schools have been under pressure from employers to ensure that the grades that students are achieving match their abilities far better than in recent years.
- Some business schools have realized that their grading system has been inaccurate since 2007 and are currently making changes to correct the errors. Students' grades are being revised, and employers have welcomed this move as it means that they will be able to employ better qualified students.
- In order to improve the chances of their students obtaining jobs after they have finished their courses, some business schools are adjusting their grades. These adjustments are being made to all grades awarded since 2007 but instead of benefiting the students it is, in some instances, having the opposite effect.
- Business students are finding it increasingly difficult to get employment, as the standard of law courses has declined since 2007. Employers have criticized the schools for adopting unsatisfactory teaching methods. and have urged them to ensure students get higher grades.

## Answer

In order to improve the chances of their students obtaining jobs after they have finished their courses, some business schools are adjusting their grades. These adjustments are being made to all grades awarded since 2007 but instead of benefiting the students it is, in some instances, having the opposite effect.

## Explanation

The correct option accurately captures the speaker's point about schools modifying grades to boost employability, while noting the unintended negative consequences.

What to watch: You hear that schools raised grades "so they would be more attractive in the highly competitive job market." The change applies to grades since 2007. Yet it "may even be damaging to the students." The correct summary covers all three points. The option saying employers welcomed the move is wrong because employers criticized it.

## Hints

- Listen for the speaker's explanation of why schools are changing their grading policies.
- Pay attention to the final outcome mentioned; does it help or hinder the students?

## Transcript

It's been reported recently that some business schools have decided to make changes to students' grades by increasing them by 10%. This means that a C grade automatically becomes a B, and a B grade automatically becomes an A under the new grading system. And the change is retrospective, which means that it applies to all grades that have been achieved since the school's current grading system, which was introduced in 2007, has been in place. Now, there are at least eight business schools who've changed their grading levels, and they decided to award their graduates higher grades so they would be more attractive in the highly competitive job market. However, changing grades like this has been criticized by the academic and business communities because many people think the grades have been falsely exaggerated and don't reflect the true ability of the student. In fact, many employers realize when a school has made adjustments to students' grades, and so there is no real benefit in doing this. Lifting the grades may even be damaging to the students because employers may believe that the graduates were given the high grades when they didn't deserve them.

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