FTCE Professional Education Practice Exam

Which assessment compares and ranks test takers against a statistically selected group?

1. Qualitative assessment

2. Content-referenced assessment

3. Norm-referenced assessment

4. Performance assessment

The correct answer is: Norm-referenced assessment

A norm-referenced assessment is designed to compare a test taker's performance against a statistically selected group, known as a normative group. This type of assessment yields information about how an individual performed relative to peers, allowing educators to understand a student's ranking within a larger population. It often focuses on a bell curve distribution, where test scores are interpreted in context with the performance of others. For instance, if a test yields a score indicating that a student is in the 75th percentile, this means that the student performed better than 75% of the individuals in the normative group. This kind of assessment is particularly useful for identifying which students are performing at or above average and which might need additional support, making it a valuable tool in educational settings. In contrast, qualitative assessments gather descriptive data about student performance without providing a comparative ranking. Content-referenced assessments evaluate a student's performance strictly based on the content knowledge or skills required by specific curriculum standards, without comparison to others. Performance assessments require students to demonstrate their knowledge and skills through tasks or projects instead of traditional tests, focusing more on individual performance rather than comparison.