What Is A Norm Referenced Test? : Meaning, Definition, Characteristics, Merits And Demerits

What Is A Norm Referenced Test?

Norm- Referenced Test Is A Test Design To Provide A Measure Of Performance That Is Interpretable In Terms Of An Individual's Relative Standing In Some Known Group.

Norm Group May Be Made Up Of Examinees At The Local Level, District Level, State Level Or National Level. Since The Development Of Norm-Referenced Tests Is Expensive And Time Consuming.

Definition

Bormuth (1970) Writes That Norms Is To Measure The Growth In A Student's Attainment And To Compare His Level Of Attainment With The Levels Reached By Other Students And Norm Group.

Characteristics Of A Norm Referenced Test

1. Its Basic Purpose Is To Measure Student's Achievement In Curriculum-Based Skills.
2. It Is Prepared For A Particular Grade Level.
3. It Is Administered After Instruction.
4. It Is Used For Forming Homogeneous Or Heterogeneous Class Groups.
5. It Classifies Achievement As Above Average, Average Or Below Average For Given Grade.
6. It Is Generally Reported In The Form Of
   1. Percentile Rank
   2. Linear Standard Score
   3. Normalized Standard Score And
   4. Grade Equivalent

Merits Of Norm Referenced Test

• To Make Differential Predictions In Aptitude Testing.
• To Get A Reliable Rank Ordering Of The Pupils With Respect To The Achievement
• To Identify The Pupils Who Have Mastered The Essentials Of The Course More Than Others.
• To Select The Best Of The Applicants For A Particular Programme.
• To Find Out How Effective A Programme Is In Comparison To Other Possible Programmes.

Demerits Of Norm Referenced Test

1. Test Items Answered By The Students Are Not Included In These Test Items Because Of Their Inadequate Contribution To Response Variance.
2. There Is Lack Of Congruence Between What The Test Measures And What Is Stressed In A Local Curriculum.
3. This Promotes Unhealthy Competition And Injurious To Self-Concepts Of Low Scoring Students.

Norm-Referenced Measurement Is The Traditional Class-Based Assignment. The Measurement Act Relates To Some Norm, Group Or A Typical Performance.

It Is An Attempt To Interpret The Test Results In Terms Of Performance Of A Certain Group Of Students. So, This Group Is A Norm Group Test Score.

Thus Norm-Referenced Test Typically Attempts To Measure More General Category Of Competencies.