Characteristics of Various Types of Reading Assessment
Norm-Referenced Assessment
- Norm-referenced tests compare a student's score against a group of students who have already taken the test. This group is called the "norming group."
- All norm-referenced tests are formal and standardized.
- Norm-referenced tests are useful for determining the overall developmental level of a student compared to the developmental level of other students.
- Scores are usually reported in percentile ranks. If a student scores in the 79 percentile, that means he or she scored higher than 79% of the test-takers in the norming group
- Most achievement norm-referenced tests are multiple-choice tests. The questions mainly reflect the content of nationally used test books not local (state or district-level) mandated curriculum.
Click on the link below for examples of norm-referenced tests.