PGT 202E

Basic Educational Measurement and Evaluation

Criterion Reference Vs Norm Reference Interpretation
Test Score Interpretation: z-score, T-score, Percentile Rank
Dr. Lim Hooi Lian
School of Educational Studies

Introduction
The number right score obtained from an
assessment is NOT very meaningful of itself.
This score need to be referenced to something
outside the assessment to be interpreted.

For example: Ahmad scored 98 in Mathematics

What would this mean?
Excellent in Mathematics!?
Better in Mathematics than Aiza (scored 67)?

Introduction
Two kinds of score interpretation:
1. norm-reference
2. criterion reference

Norm-Reference Interpretation
Describe assessed performance in terms of a
persons position in a reference group that
has been administered the assessment.
For example: better than 80 percent of the
class.
It express the students standing in a reference
group, BUT it does not state what the student
knows or is able to perform.
The reference group : norm group

Norm group
The well-defined group of other students is
called norm group.
To make valid NR interpretations, all persons
in the norm group must have been given the
same assessment tasks as your students and
under the same condition (same time limits,
same directions, same equipment and
materials, etc)

Validity of Norm-Reference
Interpretations
The NR interpretations are less valid when the
norm group is not well defined.
NR scores: Percentile ranks, grade-equivalent
scores and standard scores are examples of
NR

Criterion-Reference Interpretation
Describe assessment performance in terms of
the kinds of tasks a person can do.

Criterion-Reference Interpretation
Individuals scores are compared to a
predetermined standard of performance (the
criterion), not with the scores of others
Score is usually expressed as a percentage
or pass/fail
Focuses on what individuals are able to do
Good for diagnosis

Domain Reference and Mastery

Testing
Mastery Testing
An assessment procedure used to decide
whether a particular student has mastered a
given set of learning targets is called mastery
test

Types of Derived Standardized Test Scores

Three kind of standardized test scores:

1. raw score
2. percentile rank
derived score
3. standard score
Derived score
A numerical score based on converting raw scores
into a more understandable norm that reflects
average performances for a larger population group.

Raw score

are simply the number of items answered correctly.

One easily understood, for example, is percent
correct (number of items answered correctly divided
by the total number of items possible.)

Percentile rank
Raw test score have relatively little meaning by themselves.
We need the method of deriving a score or number that will
have meaning for an individual, particularly if we are using
norm-referenced measures.
Rank in the group might be used, but the size of the group will
obviously play a significant role in determining the meaning
assigned to a particular rank.
Ex: a rank of 3 in a group of 10 versus a rank of 3 in a group of
1,000.

Percentile rank
A derived score that has been found useful in
describing individual students performance is
the percentile rank (PR)
Percentile rank is the percentage of score
below the given score point.

Percentile rank

The formula:

Percentile rank

1
(B E)
2
X 100
n
B = the number of raw scores below a particular score, score x.
E = the number of raw scores equal to x, including x itself.
n = total number of raw score

Percentile rank

To facilitate the computation of percentile ranks, a

cumulative frequency column can be included in a
summary data table.
Ex: A student who correctly answered 40 items is at
the 78th PR.
What does the percentile rank of 78 mean?

Percentile rank
It means that if the student got a score of 40
on this test (correct answer 40 items), 78
percent of the people in the norm group
correctly answer less than 40 items.

Exercise
Table shows raw scores of 20 students in a Economic
test.
(a) Compute the percentile rank, z- score and T- score
for each of the raw score.
(b) If Salmah received a raw score of 80, try to explain
Salmahs position relative to his classmates in the test.

Raw score of Economic Test

Raw score

Frequency

89

80

75

68

60

59

54

40

Calculate PR for the raw score of 89.

1
16 (4)
2
X 100
20

= 90

Calculate PR for the raw score of 80

1
13 (3)
2
X 100
20

= 72.5

Standard scores

Are derived from raw score in units based on the

standard deviation of the distribution.
Two common types: z-score and T score.

Z-Score

Z-Score
Example:
Adam has gone through a few assessments for his
mathematics course. The z score of each assessment are as
follows:
On quiz 1: 0
On quiz 2: -1.67
On homework assignment: 0.5
Final exam: 2.5

Z-Score

When teachers convert raw score to z

scores, they are giving equal weighs to
each assignment, quiz and exam.

T Score

One objection to z scores is they can be both negative and fractional.

T score eliminate these objections.
T scores are standard scores having a mean of 50 and a standard deviation
of 10.
The simple formula to convert from z score:

T score = 50 + 10(z).
T score of 60 is the same as a z score of 1.
For example:
Damis z score in social science studies was 2.9. what is the T score?
Kenny has a z score of -1.4 in math, what is the T score?

T Score

Damis T score: 79
Kennys T score: 36
Eliminate the decimal point and negative value.

ETS Score
Published by Educational Testing Service
100z + 500 = ETS
If z scores are carried out to two places.