http://www.test-preparation.ca/study-center/types-of-school-tests/ How to Study and How to Prepare for a Test Wed, 16 May 2012 03:41:08 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v= http://www.test-preparation.ca/study-center/types-of-school-tests/comment-page-1/#comment-33812 Anonymous Wed, 07 Jul 2010 13:11:56 +0000 http://www.test-preparation.ca/study-center/?p=536#comment-33812 thanx thanx

]]> http://www.test-preparation.ca/study-center/types-of-school-tests/comment-page-1/#comment-9887 Rob Wed, 22 Apr 2009 00:20:05 +0000 http://www.test-preparation.ca/study-center/?p=536#comment-9887 The difference between these two types of tests is less in the test content and more a matter of how the results are interpreted and used. (Hope that made sense.) That is, they may be giving the same types of questions over the same subject material, but the way that the scores are calculated and what those scores mean for students will differ from test to test. A 'norm-referenced' test for example, looks at where your performance is in relation to other students. These results can be used to compare any group to any other group. For example, are students in one school district performing better than another? Are females performing better than males? Are 8th graders doing better at one school than at another in the same district? An 'achievement test', on the other hand, measures what you know in relation to a set of standards (what you are expected to know for a given grade level or class), rather than comparing you to other students. So if you score 80% on an achievement test it means that you have mastered 80% of the material, give or take a few points either way. Whereas, if you score 80th percentile on a norm referenced test, you did as well or better than 80% of students who have taken that test. These are two very different things. Achievement tests are usually used to measure your individual mastery of a course, or of curriculum standards, while norm tests are often used to show how students as a group are doing on mastering material. The difference between these two types of tests is less in the test content and more a matter of how the results are interpreted and used. (Hope that made sense.) That is, they may be giving the same types of questions over the same subject material, but the way that the scores are calculated and what those scores mean for students will differ from test to test. A ‘norm-referenced’ test for example, looks at where your performance is in relation to other students. These results can be used to compare any group to any other group. For example, are students in one school district performing better than another? Are females performing better than males? Are 8th graders doing better at one school than at another in the same district? An ‘achievement test’, on the other hand, measures what you know in relation to a set of standards (what you are expected to know for a given grade level or class), rather than comparing you to other students. So if you score 80% on an achievement test it means that you have mastered 80% of the material, give or take a few points either way. Whereas, if you score 80th percentile on a norm referenced test, you did as well or better than 80% of students who have taken that test. These are two very different things. Achievement tests are usually used to measure your individual mastery of a course, or of curriculum standards, while norm tests are often used to show how students as a group are doing on mastering material.

]]> http://www.test-preparation.ca/study-center/types-of-school-tests/comment-page-1/#comment-9866 Ann Sun, 19 Apr 2009 19:02:07 +0000 http://www.test-preparation.ca/study-center/?p=536#comment-9866 No matter how many times people explain this to me, I am still not clear on what the difference is between a norm/criterion test and an achievement test and why we even have to take these things. Both of these tests seem the same- they are multiple choice and they (supposedly) measure what you know in several different subjects. So what makes one a 'norm referenced' test, and what makes the other an 'achievement' test? No matter how many times people explain this to me, I am still not clear on what the difference is between a norm/criterion test and an achievement test and why we even have to take these things. Both of these tests seem the same- they are multiple choice and they (supposedly) measure what you know in several different subjects. So what makes one a ‘norm referenced’ test, and what makes the other an ‘achievement’ test?

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