FTCE Professional Education Practice Exam

Which type of test relates an individual's score to predetermined standards instead of comparing it with the performance of others?

1. Norm-referenced

2. Criterion-referenced

3. Formative assessment

4. Summative assessment

The correct answer is: Criterion-referenced

The type of test that relates an individual's score to predetermined standards is criterion-referenced testing. In this approach, the focus is on measuring whether a student has met specific learning objectives or criteria, rather than comparing their performance to that of other students. This means that the assessment is designed to determine if a student has acquired the knowledge or skills defined by the standards set forth by the educational system. Criterion-referenced tests are particularly beneficial in educational settings where educators aim to ensure that all students meet a certain proficiency level. For instance, a student may be evaluated on whether they can solve a specific type of mathematical problem, and their score will reflect their mastery of that skill relative to established benchmarks. In contrast, norm-referenced tests compare an individual's performance against the scores of a norm group, which means that scores are interpreted in relation to how others performed rather than against fixed standards. Formative assessments are ongoing checks of student understanding during the learning process, often used to inform instruction, while summative assessments aim to evaluate student learning at the end of an instructional unit. Therefore, criterion-referenced testing is fundamentally about measuring performance against set standards, making it the correct choice for this question.