Home / FAQs / What is the Difference between Criterion-Referenced and Norm-Referenced Testing?
What is the Difference between Criterion-Referenced and Norm-Referenced Testing?

What is the Difference between Criterion-Referenced and Norm-Referenced Testing?

These terms relate to how the results of an assessment are presented. Criterion-referenced means the test relates to some sort of established unit of measure. DORA is criterion-referenced because it reports in grade level equivalent scores. For example, John’s phonics skills are low 4th grade level. Norm-referenced is a percentage ranking compared to an average population. For example, Johnny is at 45th percentile. This means if you took 100 students and ranked them from top to bottom, Johnny would be 45 from the bottom. So higher is better. Average is 50. Most state tests which are accountability tests are norm-referenced.

Tags: norm referenced, criterion referenced, assessment

Comments (1)

Posted by mangadi Mompati Dennis on 01/31 at 10:06 AM

criterion referenced is better than norm referenced

Post a new comment:

Name:

Email:

Smileys

Remember my personal information

Notify me of follow-up comments?

Please enter the word you see in the image below:


Copyright © Let's Go Learn, Inc. All Rights Reserved
® DORA, Diagnostic Online Reading Assessment; ® DOMA, Diagnostic Online Math Assessment; ® Let's Go Learn; ® LGL Edge;
and ® Let's Go Teach are registered trademarks of Let's Go Learn, Inc.
For product information or questions, e-mail us at info2@letsgolearn.com
Privacy Policy | Terms of Use