Norm-referenced testing has been used for decades to assess student performance in academic settings. It is a type of standardized testing that compares individual test scores to a predefined set of normative data, allowing for comparison to a pre-established “norm”. Norm-referenced testing has been used to measure student achievement, aptitude, and abilities across a range of subject areas.
Definition
Norm-referenced testing is a type of standardized testing which compares individual test scores to a pre-defined set of normative data. The goal of norm-referenced testing is to provide a general measure of an individual’s performance relative to a larger population. It is usually used to measure academic achievement, aptitude, or ability.
History
Norm-referenced testing has been used for decades to measure student performance in academic settings. In the 1950s, the first norm-referenced tests were developed in the United States by the Psychological Corporation. Since then, these tests have become a mainstay in education, with the emergence of the more widely known SAT and ACT tests.
Characteristics
Norm-referenced tests usually involve multiple-choice, fill-in-the-blank, or essay-style questions. Results are based on the comparison of an individual’s performance to the performance of a larger group of test-takers. Scores are expressed as percentile ranks, which indicate the percentage of test-takers that the individual outperformed. These scores allow educators to identify areas of strength and weakness, and to compare an individual’s performance to that of their peers.
Conclusion
Norm-referenced testing is an important tool for measuring student achievement, aptitude, and abilities. It provides an objective measure of an individual’s performance relative to a larger population, and gives educators insights into how an individual student is performing.
References
Brown, P. C., & Cromwell, J. (2019). Best practices in norm-referenced testing. SAGE Research Methods Cases. https://dx.doi.org/10.4135/9781529702411
McGill, K. L., & Wood, L. (2008). Norm-referenced tests: A review of the literature. Educational Measurement: Issues and Practice, 27(4), 5-16. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1745-3992.2008.00122.x
O’Connor, K. (2004). Norm-referenced vs. criterion-referenced testing: An overview. The Journal of Educational Research, 97(4), 211-222. https://doi.org/10.1080/00220670409597677