2.4.1 Setting and marking the pre-examination

The pre-examination is a single paper (R. 10(2) IPREE), set in multiple-choice form. In several decisions, the DBA held statement 5.4 in the German version of the 2016 pre-examination paper to have been unclear and confusing. In some cases (e.g. D 1/16, D 4/16 and D 15/16), the additional points awarded resulted in the candidate achieving the "PASS" grade. Challenges to other statements in the same paper were, however, rejected (e.g. D 5/16, D 6/16, D 10/16). In D 5/16 the board concluded with some general remarks, as follows. It was essential to ensure that the questions to be answered and any statements to be evaluated in a multiple-choice examination such as the EQE pre-examination were formulated clearly and unambiguously. It was crucial to formulate statements in such a way that clearly only one "True" or "False" answer was possible and "correct" in the circumstances (see also D 6/16, and later decision D 3/19, citing D 13/02). However, concerning the ambiguity of words and the relevance of the factual context of questions, if a question was logical and made sense, so that, using common sense, it was clear what answer was expected, candidates could not rely on exceptions to the rule or explore alternative interpretations with a view to showing that a different answer might also be conceivable in specific instances. See also D 3/14, reported in this chapter V.C.2.6.4 "Review of the marking of the pre-examination".