Conversion of Raw Test Scores into

Standard Scores, T-Scores, C-Scores,

Z-Scores, Stanine Scores, Percentile
Raw Test Score

 A raw score is simply unaltered data from a

test or observation. It is recorded in its
original form by a researcher before being
subjected to any statistical analysis. For
instance, if a participant is given a set of ten
questions and answers seven right, their raw
score might be 7.
Standard Scores

 In statistics, the standard score is the number of standard deviations

 by which the value of a raw score (i.e., an observed value or data
point) is above or below the mean value of what is being observed or
measured. Raw scores above the mean have positive standard scores,
while those below the mean have negative standard scores.
 It is calculated by subtracting the population mean from an individual
raw score and then dividing the difference by the population standard
deviation. This process of converting a raw score into a standard score
is called standardizing or normalizing (however, "normalizing" can
refer to many types of ratios; see normalization for more).
 Standard Scores
 Standard scores are most commonly called z-scores; the
two terms may be used interchangeably, as they are in this
article. Other equivalent terms in use include z-values,
normal scores, standardized variables and pull in 
high energy physics.
 Computing a z-score requires knowledge of the mean and
standard deviation of the complete population to which a
data point belongs; if one only has a sample of
observations from the population, then the analogous
computation using the sample mean and sample standard
deviation yields the t-statistic.
If the population mean and population standard deviation are known, a
raw score x is converted into a standard score by
 The absolute value of z represents the distance between that raw score x and the population mean in units
of the standard deviation. z is negative when the raw score is below the mean, positive when above.
 Calculating z using this formula requires use of the population mean and the population standard
deviation, not the sample mean or sample deviation. However, knowing the true mean and standard
deviation of a population is often an unrealistic expectation, except in cases such as standardized testing,
where the entire population is measured.
 When the population mean and the population standard deviation are unknown, the standard score may
be estimated by using the sample mean and sample standard deviation as estimates of the population
values.
 In these cases, the z-score is given by
 Though it should always be stated, the distinction
between use of the population and sample statistics
often is not made. In either case, the numerator and
denominator of the equations have the same units
of measure so that the units cancel out through
division and z is left as a dimensionless quantity.
is a quantity to which no physical dimension is assigned, with a corresponding SI 
unit of measurement of one (or 1), which is not explicitly shown. Dimensionless quantities are
widely used in many fields, such as mathematics, physics, chemistry, engineering, and 
economics. Dimensionless quantities are distinct from quantities that have associated
dimensions, such as time (measured in seconds)
T-Score
 T scores (or T-scores) are an example of standardized
scores, where the mean is equal to 50 and the standard
deviation is equal to 10. They are a linear transformation
of Z-scores, which have mean 0 and standard deviation 1;
a T score can be obtained from a Z-score by the formula T
= 50 + 10Z. T scores are convenient because scores below
0 and above 100 are virtually impossible; in fact, 99.7% of
the time, a T score will lie between 20 and 80, because
these limits are 3 standard deviations below and above the
mean, respectively. The Mullen Scales of Early Learning
is one example of an assessment that reports T scores.
How to interpret T-Score

 Higher values of the t-score indicate that a

large difference exists between the two
sample sets. The smaller the t-value, the
more similarity exists between the two
sample sets.
 C-Score
 The C-Score is a combination of your domain scores. It is
calculated from the product of reasoning, short-term memory, and
verbal ability, which are calculated from your test scores (
learn more).
 Notice that it is based on a product of scores, rather than a sum or
an average. You can think of your C-Score as a three-dimensional
box, with each domain score as one measurement (width, height,
and depth). The bigger the volume of the box, the higher your C-
Score. The higher your C-Score, the higher your mental capacity
is today.
C-Score

 Your C-Score is designed so that it has the most

meaning when you track it from day to day and see
how your scores vary in response to your lifestyle.
So, changes matter more than the absolute number.
However, to give you an idea of what the number
means: it is designed so that a C-Score of 12.5 is
about average.
Stanine Scores

 A stanine (“standard nine”) score is a way to scale scores

on a nine-point scale. It can be used to convert any test
score to a single-digit score. Like z-scores and t-scores,
stanines are a way to assign a number to a member of a
group, relative to all members in that group. However,
while z-scores and t-scores can be expressed with
decimals like 1.2 or 3.25, stanines are always positive
whole numbers from 0 to 9.
Stanine Score

 Stanines are also similar to normal distributions. You can

think of these scores as a bell curve that has been sliced up
into 9 pieces. These pieces are numbered 1 through 9,
starting at the left hand section. However, where a 
standard normal distribution has a mean of 0 and a 
standard deviation of 1, stanines have a mean of 5 and a 
standard deviation of 2.
What do Stanines mean?

 A person with a score of 9 is in the top 4% of the scorers, while a person with a
score of 1 is in the bottom 4%. These types of scores allow you to easily tell if a
score is below the mean (a score of 5) or above the mean.

 How to Convert a Score to a Stanine

Step 1: Rank the scores from lowest to highest.

Step 2: Assign a stanine score to your scores from Step 1:

Percentile
 Key Facts: Percentiles

 • Percentiles are used to understand and interpret data. They indicate

the values below which a certain percentage of the data in a data set is
found.
 • Percentiles can be calculated using the formula n = (P/100) x N,
where P = percentile, N = number of values in a data set (sorted from
smallest to largest), and n = ordinal rank of a given value.
 • Percentiles are frequently used to understand test scores and
biometric measurements.
 Percentile Formula
 Percentiles for the values in a given data set can be calculated using the formula:
 n = (P/100) x N
 where N = number of values in the data set, P = percentile, and n = ordinal rank of a given value (with
the values in the data set sorted from smallest to largest). For example, take a class of 20 students that
earned the following scores on their most recent test: 75, 77, 78, 78, 80, 81, 81, 82, 83, 84, 84, 84, 85,
87, 87, 88, 88, 88, 89, 90. These scores can be represented as a data set with 20 values: {75, 77, 78, 78,
80, 81, 81, 82, 83, 84, 84, 84, 85, 87, 87, 88, 88, 88, 89, 90}.
 We can find the score that marks the 20th percentile by plugging in known values into the formula and
solving for n:
 n = (20/100) x 20
 n=4
 The fourth value in the data set is the score 78. This means that 78 marks the 20th percentile; of the
students in the class, 20 percent earned a score of 78 or lower.
Thank You for listening…