Norm and Criterion-

Referenced Test

Jenelyn P. Daanoy
Prusil D. Dequilla
MAT-Science
What is the Norm-Referenced Test?
A norm-referenced test is a uniform test. It ranks and
compares students in relation to one another. Also,
they measure performance on the basis of the
theoretical average. Besides, it compares the result of a
statistically selected group.

In simple words, norm reference tests compare

student’s performance with others. Also, they all have
taken the same test and assessment. Besides, norm
reference test calculating process is known as “norm
process”. And its compare group is “norming group”.
It determines the position of students. Also, it
assesses their performance and measures their
behavior. These guesses derive from analysis test
scores. This identifies students test is better or worse
than others.
Characteristics of the Norm-referenced test
1. Defining
They measure the performance of a student in
comparison to all students. But it does not define the
meaning of all. Thus, they measure the success of an
educational restructuring against fixed aims.

2. Preset results
It means that the norms were traditionally set. And
the score level is set at 50 percent. But, this goal is
really high to achieve if we talk about all the
students.
3. Quality of Grades
The norms for grading are set by teachers according
to them. But they have to judge the performance of
students. Also, the level of knowledge of both is
different.

4. Changing Difficulty level

The difficulty level of scores changes from year to
year. Also, the passing rates of students vary from
class to class. Likewise, 4th grade has different
difficulty level and 10th grade has a different
difficulty level.
5. Fear of Failure
In norm reference test the students have fear of
failure. Besides, it compares their performance with
other students.

6. Be competitive
Give students a chance to improve their performance.
Also, students can know how much they have to
prepare to compete with others.
7. Being self-confident
It means that students should take their performance
confidently. Also, they should work hard to improve
their performance.
 Common uses

Many college entrance exams and nationally used

school tests use norm-referenced tests. The SAT, 
Graduate Record Examination (GRE), and 
Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC)
compare individual student performance to the
performance of a normative sample. Test takers
cannot "fail" a norm-referenced test, as each test
taker receives a score that compares the individual
to others that have taken the test, usually given by a
percentile.
IQ tests are norm-referenced tests, because their goal
is to see which test taker is more intelligent than the
other test takers. The median IQ is set to 100, and all
test takers are ranked up or down in comparison to
that level.
Theater auditions and job interviews are norm-
referenced tests, because their goal is to identify the
best candidate compared to the other candidates, not
to determine how many of the candidates meet a fixed
list of standards.
Types of Norm-referenced Scores
There are different types of norm-referenced scores.
The most common are:

Percentile ranks: this is a simple way of ranking a raw

score to the performance of a particular norm group.
Percentiles always run from 1 to 99 and define the
percent of the norm group which achieved lower
scores. Each percentile table only refers to one specific
norm group at the specific time it was tested. If a raw
score of 15 correspond to a percentile of 30, it means
that 30% of the norm group had raw scores lower than
15.
Standard score: a transformation of the raw score,
whose score distribution in a specified population has
convenient, known values for the mean and standard
deviation. Often this term is used to specifically denote
scores transformed to have a mean of zero and a
standard deviation of 1 (also known as z-scores).
Standard scores permit the direct comparison of
examinees by placement of the scores on a common
scale and, for this reason, are useful for comparisons
over time.
The following are a few representative examples of
how norm-referenced tests and scores may be used:

1. To determine a young child’s readiness for preschool

or kindergarten. These tests may be designed to
measure oral-language ability, visual-motor skills, and
cognitive and social development.

2. To evaluate basic reading, writing, and math skills.

Test results may be used for a wide variety of purposes,
such as measuring academic progress, making course
assignments, determining readiness for grade
promotion, or identifying the need for additional
academic support.
3. To identify specific learning disabilities, such as
autism, dyslexia, or nonverbal learning disability, or to
determine eligibility for special-education services.

4. To make program-eligibility or college-admissions

decisions (in these cases, norm-referenced scores are
generally evaluated alongside other information about
a student). Scores on SAT or ACT exams are a common
example.
Advantages and Limitations

The primary advantage of norm-reference tests is

that they can provide information on how an
individual's performance on the test compares to
others in the reference group.

A serious limitation of norm-reference tests is that

the reference group may not represent the current
population of interest.
Norm-referencing does not ensure that a test is
valid (i.e. that it measures the construct it is
intended to measure).

Another disadvantage of norm-referenced tests is

that they cannot measure progress of the
population as a whole, only where individuals fall
within the whole.
Norms do not automatically imply a standard. A
norm-referenced test does not seek to enforce any
expectation of what test takers should know or be
able to do. It measures the test takers' current level
by comparing the test takers to their peers.
What is the Criterion-referenced Test?

A criterion-referenced test is an assessment and test

that measures student’s performance. Also, these
measures the performance of the students alongside
fixed criteria. These criteria’s include written and
brief reports of what students are capable of doing at
different stages.

In other words, the Criterion reference test is a set of

fixed criteria. That used to measure student’s
performance. Also, these assess the student’s
performance.
Criterion reference test is a method which uses test
score to judge students. Also, they help to generate
statements about students’ behavior. Also, they use
test scores as their reference. Criterion reference
mostly uses quizzes. The main objective of this is to
check whether students have learned the topic or
not.

These generally have multiple-choice, true-false,

and open-ended questions. They play an important
role to take a decision about student’s performance.
Cut Scores
A cut score is a point on the test score scale used for
classifying the test takers into groups on the basis of
their scores. In general, criterion-referenced tests
involve a cut score, where the examinee passes if their
score exceeds the cut score and fails if it does not
(often called a mastery test). However, the criterion is
not the cut score; the criterion is the domain of subject
matter that the test is designed to assess.
Standard Setting
The process used to determine cut scores is formally
known as standard setting. For tests like classroom
assessments cut scores might be defined by the
teacher, for final exams it might be defined by the
school. For commercial and high-stakes tests, the test
developer will form a standard-setting panel by
recruiting a group of experts, such as psychometricians
(specialists in the science of educational
measurement) or teachers from a relevant content
area.
 Characteristics of the Criterion Reference
Test

1. Authority
It actually assesses whether they measure what it
claims or not. An individual item matches with its
goal. Also, if the situations and performance
specified in the aim signify in the item or not.
2. Consistency
It means that if it always measures what it
states. Also, consistency means if they have a
high degree of confidence in the scores or not.
Any random error in the tool can make it
unreliable.
3. Practicality
Not all assessment is reliable because of cost
and time. It is not always possible to design
reliable and accurate tests. Also, the decision
should considerably relate to important factors.
4. Subject Mastery
This help in the pathway the performance of
students within the course of study. Also, test
items can be made to match precise purposes.
Criterion reference test also judges how well
the student knows and understand the topic.
5. Managed Locally
Generally, these develope at the classroom level.
Also, the teacher can easily check if the standards
are met or not. Besides, they also identify shortages.
Results of tests are quickly obtained to give students
helpful feedback on performance.
Criterion-referenced tests may be high-stakes tests—i.e.,
tests that are used to make important decisions about
students, educators, schools, or districts—or they may be
“low-stakes tests” used to measure the academic
achievement of individual students, identify learning
problems, or inform instructional adjustments
Well-known examples of criterion-referenced tests
include Advanced Placement exams and the 
National Assessment of Educational Progress, which
are both standardized tests administered to students
throughout the United States.
Driving tests are criterion-referenced tests, because
their goal is to see whether the test taker is skilled
enough to be granted a driver's license, not to see
whether one test taker is more skilled than another
test taker.
Citizenship tests are usually criterion-referenced tests,
because their goal is to see whether the test taker is
sufficiently familiar with the new country's history and
government, not to see whether one test taker is more
knowledgeable than another test taker.
The following are a few representative examples of
how criterion-referenced tests and scores may be
used:
1. To determine whether students have learned expected
knowledge and skills.
2. To determine if students have learning gaps or
academic deficits that need to be addressed.

3. To evaluate the effectiveness of a course, academic

program, or learning experience by using “pre-tests” and
“post-tests” to measure learning progress over the duration
of the instructional period.
4. To evaluate the effectiveness of teachers by factoring
test results into job-performance evaluations.

5. To measure progress toward the goals and objectives

described in an “individualized education plan” for
students with disabilities.

6. To determine if a student or teacher is qualified to

receive a license or certificate
7. To measure the academic achievement of students in a
given state, usually for the purposes of comparing
academic performance among schools and districts.
8. To measure the academic achievement of students in a
given country, usually for the purposes of comparing
academic performance among nations. A few widely used
examples of international-comparison tests include the 
Programme for International Student Assessment
 (PISA), the 
Progress in International Reading Literacy Study
 (PIRLS), and the 
Trends in International Mathematics and Science Stu
dy
 (TIMSS).
Difference between Norm and Criterion-referenced Test

Basis Criterion-Referenced Test Norm-Referenced Test

Judged on the basis of other

Performance Each student is independently assessed.
student’s performance.

It does not compare a student’s It compares a student’s performance

Comparison
performance with other students. with other students.

Its main objective is to help students Its main objective is to assess a

Objective learn without getting questioned about student’s performance with other
grades. students.

Their criteria changes with

Criteria They have fixed criteria for assessment.
outcomes.

Results Results can be derived quickly. Takes little time to derive results.

Examples Clinical skill competency tools. Class examination.

The following is adapted from: Popham, J. W. (1975).
Educational evaluation.
Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, Inc .
Criterion-Referenced Norm-Referenced
Dimension
Tests Tests
To determine whether each student To rank each student with respect
has achieved specific skills or to the
concepts. achievement of others in broad
Purpose
To find out how much students areas of knowledge.
know before instruction begins and To discriminate between high and
after it has finished. low achievers.
Measures specific skills which make
up a designated curriculum. These Measures broad skill areas
skills are identified by teachers and sampled from a variety of
Content
curriculum experts. textbooks, syllabi, and the
Each skill is expressed as an judgments of curriculum experts.
instructional objective.
 Each skill is tested by at least four
Each skill is usually tested by
items in order to obtain an adequate
less than four items.
Item sample of student
Items vary in difficulty.
Characterist performance and to minimize the
Items are selected that
ics effect of guessing.
discriminate between high
The items which test any given skill
and low achievers.
are parallel in difficulty.
Each individual is compared with
Each individual is compared with a other examinees and assigned a
preset standard for acceptable score--usually expressed as a
achievement. The performance of percentile, a grade equivalent
Score
other examinees is irrelevant. score, or a stanine.
Interpretatio
A student's score is usually Student achievement is reported 
n
expressed as a percentage. for broad skill areas, although
Student achievement is reported for some norm-referenced tests do
individual skills. report student achievement for
individual skills.
Thank you!!!!