Deck 3: The Meaning of Test Scores

Question 1

T-scores have an advantage over z-scores because:

A)t-scores have no negative numbers.
B)z-scores have no decimal points.
C)z-scores are less precise.
D)t-scores are reported in squared units.

Answer 1

t-scores have no negative numbers.

Question 2

On a math test,the raw score mean is 70 and the standard deviation is 3.The raw scores are converted to T-scores.The mean and standard deviation,respectively of the T-scores will be:

A)0 and 1.
B)10 and 3.
C)50 and 10.
D)70 and 3.

Answer 2

50 and 10.

Question 3

Z- and t-scores are types of:

A)curvilinear transformations.
B)nominal measures.
C)ordinal measures.
D)standard scores.

Answer 3

standard scores.

Question 4

Norm-referenced interpretations can be applied to:

A)maximum performance tests only.
B)typical response tests only.
C)both maximum performance and typical response tests.
D)achievement tests only.

Question 5

A test can produce interpretations for:

A)norm-referenced scores only.
B)criterion-referenced scores only
C)both norm- and criterion-referenced scores.
D)neither norm-referenced nor criterion-referenced scores.

Question 6

T-scores have a mean ____ and a standard deviation of _____.

A)0; 1
B)10; 50
C)50; 10
D)100; 50

Question 7

For norm-referenced interpretations,what is the most important consideration?

A)The relevance of the norm group to which the examinee is compared
B)The size of the norm group to which the examinee is compared
C)How clearly the knowledge or skill domain being assessed is specified
D)How clearly the group being compared to is similar in skill domain

Question 8

Norm-referenced interpretations are _________ while criterion-referenced interpretations are ________.

A)absolute; relative
B)not raw scores; raw scores
C)raw scores; not raw scores
D)relative; absolute

Question 9

According to the text authors,___________ are norm-referenced derived scores that need to be interpreted with extreme caution and are only ordinal in nature.

A)percentile ranks
B)standard scores
C)grade equivalents
D)all of the above

Question 10

Julie receives a t-score of 30 on a reading skills assessment.What can be determined from this information,assuming that the reading skills assessment scores are normally distributed?

A)She scored better than 2% of the other students.
B)She scored better than 16% of the other students.
C)She scored better than 34% of the other students.
D)She scored better than 50% of the other students.

Question 11

Z-scores have a mean of ___ and a standard deviation of ____.

A)0; 1
B)0; 1.6
C)1; 1
D)1; 1.6

Question 12

Jimmy received a z-score of +2.0 on a math test.What do we know about Jimmy's performance,assuming that the math test scores are distributed normally?

A)He scored better than 16% of the other students.
B)He scored better than 34% of the other students.
C)He scored better than 50% of the other students.
D)He scored better than 84% of the other students.
E)He scored better than 98% of the other students.

Question 13

Approximately what percentage of scores falls below a T-score of 40 assuming the score distribution is normal?

A)16%
B)34%
C)50%
D)84%
E)98%

Question 14

Standard scores are:

A)more reliable than raw scores.
B)more valid than raw scores.
C)linear transformations of raw scores.

Question 15

Norm-referenced interpretations are considered to be ___________,while criterion-referenced interpretations are considered to be __________.

A)absolute; relative
B)relative; absolute
C)reliable; unreliable
D)unreliable; reliable

Question 16

Ultimately,it is the responsibility of the _______ to evaluate the adequacy of the standardization sample and the appropriateness of comparing the examinee's score to this group.

A)test developer
B)test publisher
C)test taker
D)test user

Question 17

What is the variance of z-scores?

A).01
B).1
C)0
D)1
E)10

Question 18

A student receives a score of 78.What is the major concern in interpreting this score?

A)It is too low for the typical grading system.
B)It cannot be interpreted without knowing the distribution it comes from.
C)It is insufficiently precise for accurate assessment.
D)It is too precise for accurate assessment.

Question 19

Which of the following is best used for norm-referenced score interpretation?

A)Percent correct
B)Mastery testing
C)Standard scores
D)Standards-based interpretations

Question 20

Approximately what percentage of scores falls below an IQ of 115?

A)16%
B)34%
C)50%
D)84%
E)98%

Question 21

A percentile rank of _____ indicates performance at the median of the reference group.

A)49
B)49.5
C)50
D)51

Question 22

Wechsler subtest scaled scores have a mean of _____ and a standard deviation of ______.

A)0; 1
B)10; 3
C)50; 10
D)500; 100

Question 23

A(n)_______ trait is some ability or characteristic that is inferred to exist based on theories of behavior as well as evidence of its existence.

A)indirect
B)latent
C)overt
D)subtle

Question 24

If you want to calculate the correlation between reading skills and reaction speed which are both reported as T-scores,the appropriate coefficient is:

A)Cronbach's Coefficient Alpha.
B)Pearson Product-Moment Correlation.
C)Phi Coefficient.
D)Spearman Rank-Difference Correlation.

Question 25

A percentile rank of 80 implies that:

A)20% of the individuals in the standardization group scored below this score.
B)80% of the individuals in the standardization group scored below this score.
C)80% of the individuals in the standardization group scored above this score.

Question 26

The "Flynn Effect" refers to:

A)decreases in IQ observed during the 20^th century.
B)decreases in SAT scores observed during the 20^th century.
C)increases in SAT scores observed during the 20^th century.
D)increases in IQ observed during the 20^th century.

Question 27

A test designed to yield information about whether or not a student has mastered the ability to add and subtract three digit numbers would most likely produce:

A)criterion-referenced scores.
B)norm-referenced scores.
C)standardized scores.
D)percentile ranks.

Question 28

Which level of measurement do grade equivalents reflect?

A)Nominal
B)Ordinal
C)Interval
D)Ratio

Question 29

__________ is a model of mental measurement that holds that the responses to the items are accounted for by latent traits.

A)Criterion-referenced interpretation
B)Item Response Theory
C)Norm-referenced interpretation

Question 30

The majority of percentile ranks are found where in the distribution?

A)Towards the left tail
B)Towards the right tail
C)Clustered in the middle
D)Evenly distributed across the distribution

Question 31

For criterion-referenced interpretations,the most important consideration is:

A)the relevance of the group to which the examinee is compared.
B)how broad the knowledge or skill domain being assessed is.
C)how clearly the knowledge or skill domain being assessed is specified.
D)how well the examinee performs.

Question 32

Criterion-referenced interpretations are commonly applied to:

A)maximum performance tests only.
B)typical response tests only.
C)both maximum performance and typical response tests.

Question 33

Which of the following is an example of a criterion-referenced score?

A)Cut score
B)IQ
C)Standard score
D)T-score

Question 34

The norms for a standardized intelligence test describe the:

A)ideal level of performance.
B)minimum acceptable level of performance.
C)performance of a specified group.
D)performance of a successful group.

Question 35

Normalized standard scores are often:

A)linear transformations.
B)nonlinear transformations.
C)oblique transformations.
D)orthogonal transformations.

Question 36

A z-score of 1 is equal to a T-score of:

A)10.
B)20.
C)30.
D)50.
E)60.

Question 37

What can you conclude about two people with percentile rank scores of 55 and 30?

A)Their raw test scores differed by 25 points.
B)They differ by the same amount as people with percentile rank scores of 60 and 85.
C)The person with a rank of 55 had a higher score.
D)All of the above.

Question 38

CEEB (SAT/GRE)scores have a mean of _____ and a standard deviation of ______.

A)0; 1
B)50; 10
C)100; 15
D)500; 100

Question 39

___________ interpretations can be applied to a wider variety of tests than __________ interpretations.

A)Criterion-referenced; norm-referenced
B)Norm-referenced; criterion-referenced
C)Both are about equal in their applications.