Norm-referenced tests determine whether test takers performed better or worse than whom?

• A. A fixed passing threshold
• B. A hypothetical average student
• C. The best-performing student in the class
• D. A student’s own prior scores

Answer: (B)

Norm-referenced tests compare your score to the scores of a normative group to see whether you performed above or below the average member of that group. This places you relative to a hypothetical average student in the norm group, often expressed as percentile ranks or standard scores. So you might see that you did better than a certain percentage of the norm group, or your score corresponds to how far above or below the mean you are.

This is different from tests that use a fixed passing score, which measure whether you meet an established criterion rather than how you stack up against others. It’s also not about the top student in your class or about changes from your own previous scores; norm-referenced interpretation centers on your standing relative to the reference population.