cutoff score

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "cutoff score" is correct and usable in written English. You can use it in contexts related to assessments, tests, or evaluations where a minimum score is required to qualify or pass. For example, "Students must achieve a cutoff score of 75% to pass the exam." Alternative expressions include "minimum score" and "passing score."

Science

News & Media

Academia

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

56 human-written examples

What's the right cutoff score for a passing grade?

The New York Times

Last fall, he set a uniform cutoff score on two standardized tests for admission to the city's gifted and talented programs.

The New York Times

In Nevada, Professor Conley says, the state simply looked for what cutoff score would allow about 80percentt of students to pass, and set the passing mark there.

The New York Times

In Syracuse, 86percentt of the entire class passed the English test with the lower cutoff score, but only 64percentt passed at 65.

The New York Times

The CPOT cutoff score was >2 during the nociceptive exposure.

Journal of Pain and Symptom Management

A cutoff score of 18 showed adequate sensitivity (.81) and specificity (.68).68

The Journal of Pain

Pooled specificity results ranged from 73 % with a cutoff score of 6 to 96 % with a cutoff score of 14 [25].

The Journal of Headache and Pain

Two cutoff values were assessed, including a sensitive cutoff (score of 4, sensitivity 0.84) and a specific cutoff (score of 8; specificity 0.92).

Annals of Intensive Care

The total scores ranged from 0 to 21 and the cutoff score was 5 [35].

The Journal of Headache and Pain

Using a cutoff score of 9 excludes 10.6 % of the patients from the diagnosis of MDD.

The Journal of Headache and Pain

A cutoff score of 9 or above identified most of the patients who eventually committed suicide.

The Journal of Headache and Pain

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Prefer the single-word noun "cutoff" over the hyphenated "cut-off" in American English contexts for consistency with modern scientific publishing.

Common error

Avoid using the two-word phrase "cut off score" (without a hyphen or as one word) when you intend to use it as a noun. While you might "cut off" the data at a certain point (verb phrase), the result of that action is a "cutoff score" (noun). Incorrect usage: "The cut off score was high."

Linguistic Context

The phrase "cutoff score" functions as a compound noun that identifies a specific numerical value used to divide a distribution into two or more categories. In the examples provided by Ludwig, it frequently serves as the object of a preposition (e.g. "at a cutoff score") or as the subject of a defining clause (e.g. "The cutoff score was 22"). Ludwig AI confirms this usage follows standard English grammar for technical and evaluative contexts.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

Science

65%

News & Media

20%

Academia

10%

Less common in

Formal & Business

3%

Wiki

1%

Social Media

1%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In conclusion, "cutoff score" is a highly specialized and effective noun phrase used predominantly in scientific, academic and educational contexts. As documented by Ludwig AI, it is the standard term for describing a decision threshold in data analysis. Whether you are reporting on medical research or discussing standardized testing in the news, this phrase provides a level of technical precision that is globally recognized. To ensure the highest quality of writing, always distinguish the noun "cutoff" from the verb phrase "cut off" and use it to clarify the exact point at which a classification changes.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

threshold score

Emphasizes the boundary nature of the value often used in statistical or biological modeling.

cutoff point

Refers to the location on a scale rather than the numerical value itself.

passing mark

Commonly used in academic or testing environments to denote the minimum for success.

qualifying score

Focuses on the eligibility or status gained by reaching the value.

passing grade

Specifically used in educational contexts involving letters or percentages.

minimum requirement

A broader term that can refer to scores but also to non-numerical criteria.

critical value

A statistical term referring to the point at which a null hypothesis is rejected.

exclusion value

Used in research to identify data points that should be omitted or classified differently.

limit value

Focuses on the upper or lower boundaries of a set range.

baseline score

Usually refers to a starting measurement rather than a pass/fail boundary.

FAQs

How do you use "cutoff score" in a sentence?

You can use "cutoff score" to define a minimum requirement, such as: "The admissions office set a cutoff score of 1200 for the entrance exam."

What is another word for "cutoff score"?

Depending on the context, you can use alternatives like "threshold score", "passing mark" or "qualifying score".

Is it "cutoff score" or "cut-off score"?

Both are grammatically acceptable. However, "cutoff score" is more frequently used in modern American English and scientific journals, while "cut-off score" remains common in British English and older texts.

What is the difference between a "cutoff score" and a "benchmark"?

A "cutoff score" is a rigid boundary used for classification (like pass/fail), whereas a "benchmark" is often a point of reference used for comparison or to track progress over time.