Standardized Testing

Types of Standardized Tests

A standardized test is often norm referenced. In other words, the purpose of a standardized test is to compare student test performance to that of a representative student group, or the norm. Students in the norm group are selected based on their demographic background and academic status. Every few years, the norm group is updated so that the results of the representative group are kept current and meaningful. Comparison of student test results against the norm is usually accomplished through the use of standardized test scores. One norm-referenced test score is the percentile rank, which stands for the percentage of students a student outperforms in the norm group. Standardization is considered imperative when there is a need to make comparison of student performance against the norm. The counterpart of a norm-referenced test is a criterion-referenced test. Instead of comparing student performance against other students, a criterion-referenced test uses external criteria or standards as the point of reference, usually local or national performance standards. A more recent term for this type of test is standards-based assessment. To facilitate the understanding of test scores, different performance levels are designed that correspond to different ranges of scale scores. For instance, students who answer most of the items on a subject test correctly will receive very high scale scores; they also receive an “Excellent” score in terms of their performance level. On the other hand, students who answer a minimal yet an acceptable number of items may receive a barely passing scale score, hence a “Basic” score in terms of performance level. It is possible for a test to be both norm referenced and criterion referenced. For instance, most statewide tests that are being used serve both the purpose of comparing students against each other and comparing their performance against state performance standards.

Standardized tests may also be divided into achievement tests and aptitude tests. The former is an assessment of what students have learned or achieved over a period of time, while the latter is a measure of students' potential for future success in academic achievement. It is possible, however, for an achievement test to be used as a measure to predict student future performance. For instance, the subject tests of the Scholastic Achievement Tests (SAT) measure what students have learned in a number of key subject areas. The tests are used to predict if students will succeed in future studies in those areas. On the other hand, the SAT Reasoning Test is an aptitude test that is used to measure student future success in college. Related to aptitude test is the intelligence test, a test used in and outside of education to measure a person's mental ability in general as well as specific areas. One example is the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC).

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