DIFFERENT TYPES OF TEST SCORES

Grading methods communicate the teachers' evaluative appraisal of learners' level of

achievement or performance in a test or task. In grading, teachers convert different types of
descriptive information and various measures of learners' performance into grades or
marks that will provide feedback to learners, parents, and other stakeholders about
learners' achievement.

Types of test scores

1. Raw Scores
2. Percentage Scores
3. Derived Scores
> criterion-referenced
> norm-referenced grading system

Raw scores

Raw Score is simply the number of items answered correctly on a test. A raw score
provides an indication of the variability in the performance of students in the class.
However, a raw score has no meaning unless you know what the test is measuring and how
many items it contains. A raw score also does not mean much because it cannot be
compared with a standard or with the performance of another learner or of the class as a
whole.

Percentage score

This refers to the percent of items answered correctly in a test. The number of items
answered correctly is typically converted to percent based on the total possible score. The
percentage score is interpreted as the percent of content, skills, or knowledge that the
learner has a solid grasp of. Just like raw score, percentage score has limitation because
there is no way of comparing the percentage correct obtained in a test with the percentage
correct in another test with a different difficulty level.

Percentage score is most appropriate to use in teacher-made test or criterion-referenced

test. Percentage score is appropriate to use for teacher- made test that is administered
commonly to a class or to students taking the same course with the same contents or
syllabus. In this way, the students' test performances can be compared among each other in
the class or with their peers in another section. In the same manner, percentage score is
suitable to use in subjects wherein a standard has been set. For example, if an algebra
subject sets a passing score of 60% in a test (i.e., for example it is considered as average),
then teachers and learners would know if a learner has met the desired level of
competencies through his/her percentage score.

Aside from the above test scores, the decision on what type of test scores to use is based on
whether the learners' test performance is to be compared with a standard or criterion or
with the scores of other learners or peers. This decision will entail the choice between the
two major types of grading system: (1) criterion-referenced and (2) norm-referenced
grading system.

Criterion-Referenced Grading System. This is a grading system wherein learners' test

scores or achievement levels are based on their performance in specified learning goals
and outcomes and performance standards. Criterion- referenced grades provide a measure
of how well the learners have achieved the preset standards, regardless of how everyone
else does. It is therefore important that the desired outcomes and the standards that
determine proficiency and success are clear to the learners at the very start. These should
be indicated in the course syllabus.

The following are some of the types of criterion-referenced scores or grades:

3.1 Pass or Fail Grade.
This type of score is most appropriate if the test or assessment is primarily or entirely to
make a pass or fail decision. In this type of scoring, a standard or cut-off score is preset, and
a learner is given a score of Pass if he or she surpassed the expected level of performance
or the cut-off score.
Pass or Fail grading has the following advantages:
● it takes pressure off the learners in getting a high letter or numerical grade, be
allowing them to relax while still getting the needed education;
● it gives learners a clear-cut idea of their strengths and weaknesses; and
● it allows learners to focus on true understanding or learning of the course content
rather than on specific details that will help them receive a high letter or numerical
score

3.2 Letter Grade

This is one of the most commonly used grading systems. Letter grades are usually
composed of five-level grading scale labeled from A to E or F, with A representing the
highest level of achievement or performance, and E or F- the lowest grade-representing a
Failing grade These are often used for all forms of learners' work, such as quizzes, essays,
projects, and assignments.
 Letter grade Interpretation

A Excellent

B Good

C Satisfactory

D Poor

E Unacceptable

Another disadvantage of letter grades is that the cut-offs between grade categories are
always arbitrary and difficult to justify. For example if a score of Cranges from 76 to 85,
learners who get a grade of 76 in a writing test and those who receive a grade of 85 will
both get the same letter grade of C despite the nine-point difference.

3.3 Plus (+) and Minus (-) Letter Grades

This grading provides a more detailed description of the level of learners' achievement or
task/test performance by dividing each grade category into three levels such that a grade
of A can be assigned as A+, A and A-; B as B+, B and B-and so on. Plus (+) and minus (-)
grades provide a finer discrimination between achievement or performance levels. They
also increase the accuracy of grades as a reflection of learner's performance; enhance
student motivation and discriminate among performance in a very similar pool of learners,
such as those in advanced courses or star sections.

3.4 Categorical Grades

This system of grading is generally more descriptive than letter grades, especially if
coupled with verbal labels. Verbal labels eliminate the need for a key or legend to explain
what each grade category means. Examples of categorical grades are:

Exceeding Meeting Approaching Emerging Not Exceeding

standards Standards Standards Standards Standards

Advanced Intermediate Basic Novice Below Basic

Exemplary Accomplished Developing Beginning Inadequate

Expert Proficient Competent Apprentice Novice

Master Distinguished Proficient Intermediate Novice

4. Norm-Referenced Grading System

In this method of grading, learners' test scores are compared with those of their peers.
Norm-referenced grading involves rank ordering learners and expressing a learner's score
in relation to the achievement of the rest of the group (i.e., class or grade level, schooled.)
The peer group usually serves as the normative group (e.g., class, age group, year level).
Unlike the criterion-referenced scoring, norm- referenced scoring does not tell what the
learners actually achieved, but it only indicates the learners' achievement in relation to
their peers performance.

Norm-Referenced Grading System

Norm-referenced grading allows teachers to:

(1) compare learners' test performance with that of other learners;
(2) compare learners' performance in one test (subtest) with another test (subtest); and
(3) compare learners' performance in one form of the test with another form of the test
administered at an earlier date.

Different types of norm- referenced scores

4.1 Developmental Score

This is the score that has been transformed from raw scores and reflect the average
performance at age and grade levels. There are two kinds of developmental scores:

1. Grade-equivalent
2. Age-equivalent scores.

4.1.1 Grade-Equivalent Score

is described as both a growth score and status score. The grade equivalent of a given raw
score on any test indicates the grade level at which the typical learner earns this raw score.
It describes test performance of a learner in terms of a grade level and the months since the
beginning of the school year. A decimal point is used between the grade and month in grade
equivalents.

4.1.2 Age-Equivalent Scores

indicates the age level that is typical to a learner to obtain such raw score. It reflects a
learner's performance in terms of the chronological age as compared to those in the norm
group. Age-equivalent scores are written with a hyphen between years and months.
4.2 Percentile Rank
This indicates the percentage of scores that fall at or below a given score. Percentile ranks
range from 1 to 99. For example, if a learner obtained a score of 75th percentile rank in a
standardized achievement test, it means that the learner was able to get a higher score than
75% of the learners or peers in the norm group.

Percentile ranks are not equal interval data, with differences in percentile ranks at the
extreme or end range larger than they are in the middle range. For example, the differences
between 90 and 95 percentile ranks and between 5 and 10 percentile ranks are larger than
the differences between 50 and 55 percentile ranks.

4.3 Stanine Score

This system expresses test results in nine equal steps, which range from one (lowest) to
nine (highest). A stanine score of 5 is interpreted as "average" stanine. Percentile ranks are
grouped into stanines, with the following verbal interpretations.

Description Stanine Percentile Rank

Very High 9 96 and above

Above Average 8 90-95

7 77-89

6 60-76

5 40-59

4 23-39

Below Average 3 11-22

2 4-10

Very Low 1 3 and below

4.4 Standard Score

They are raw scores that are converted into a common scale of measurement that provides
meaningful description of the individual scores within the distribution. A standard score
describes the difference of the raw score from a sample mean, expressed in standard
deviations.
Two most-commonly used standard scores are
(1) z-score and (2) T-score.

4.4.1 Z-score is one type of a standard score. Z-scores have a mean of 0 and a standard
deviation of 1. It is computed using the following formula:

Standard scores are useful when you want to compare learners' test performance across
two class distributions.

While the difference between raw scores of Luis and Michael from the mean is the same
(i.e., 5), Michael's standard score is lower than Luis' standard score (z of 1 vs. z of 5). This is
because the variability in scores in Michael's class is higher than that in Luis' class. As such,
it is appropriate to convert raw scores to standard scores when comparison is warranted
because raw scores mean different things in different situations or for different learners.

A z-score can either be positive or negative. The (+) and (-) signs do not indicate the
magnitude of z-score; rather, they indicate the directions of raw scores from the mean. A
positive (+) z-score means that the raw score is higher than the group mean, while a
negative (-) z-score indicates that the raw score is lower than the group mean.

4.4.2 T-score is another type of standard score, where in the mean is equal
T-score is another type of standard score, where in the mean is equal to 50, and the
standard deviation is equal to 10. It is linear transformation of z-scores, which have mean 0
and standard deviation. It is computed from a z-score with the following formula