Norm-referenced assessment is defined as a type of standardized test which allows the comparison of students’ performances with one another. This type of assessment compares the performance of a student to the course median. Here, the norming process calculates the norm-references sources, and a norming group is a group where the students are compared while the professor is assigning the grades.

It is also termed an assessment that ranks students on a bell curve to determine the lowest and highest-performing students. Also, this method is used to understand the comparison between the score of the students to a predefined population with the same experience. For instance, a student’s assessment score can be compared with the scores of students who took the same course in the previous year.

Additionally, norm-references tests commonly use a multiple-choice format, short-answer questions, and open-ended questions to determine the scores. These are based on national standards. IQ tests are the most common and well-known norm-reference assessment, along with developmental-screening tests used to identify learning disabilities in young children or to evaluate eligibility for special education services. Following are a few examples of how norm-referenced tests scores are used-

·   To make program-eligibility or college-admission decisions, like scores of SAT or Act exams

·   To identify the specific learning disability among children, such as dyslexia, nonverbal learning disability, etc. Read more about Learning Management System.