What type of standardized tests measure a student's performance in comparison with peers?

What type of standardized tests measure a student's performance in comparison with peers?

• A. Norm-Referenced
• B. Criterion-Referenced
• C. Diagnostic
• D. Ipsative

Answer: (A)

When a test measures how a student performs in relation to peers, it’s designed to place that student within the distribution of a reference group. This yields a relative standing, such as percentile ranks or standard scores, showing how the student compares to other students who took the same test. This differs from criterion-referenced tests, which judge whether the student has met specific content standards; diagnostic tests focus on pinpointing particular skill weaknesses; and ipsative tests compare the student’s current performance to their own past performance. Since the question is about comparing to peers, norm-referenced is the best fit.

When a test measures how a student performs in relation to peers, it’s designed to place that student within the distribution of a reference group. This yields a relative standing, such as percentile ranks or standard scores, showing how the student compares to other students who took the same test. This differs from criterion-referenced tests, which judge whether the student has met specific content standards; diagnostic tests focus on pinpointing particular skill weaknesses; and ipsative tests compare the student’s current performance to their own past performance. Since the question is about comparing to peers, norm-referenced is the best fit.