The document compares norm-referenced and criterion-referenced assessments in education. Norm-referenced assessments evaluate student performance against peers to determine relative ranking, while criterion-referenced assessments measure performance against specific standards or objectives. Each type has its advantages and disadvantages, impacting how student achievement and skills are evaluated.

1. With respect to Parameters of
Comparison
NORM-REFERENCED &
CRITERION-REFERENCED
ASSESSMENT
HADEEQA WALEED
EDUCATIONIST

2. • NORM-REFERENCED ASSESSMENT
• Compares student’s performance against others
students
• ▪ Measure global language abilities.
CRITERION-REFERENCED ASSESSMENT
Measures A Student’s Performance Against A Goal, Specific
Objective, Or Standard.
• ▪ Measure Specific Instructional Objectives.
• ▪ Compares Students’ Performance To A Specific Criterion

3. Norm-referenced Assessment
• Compares a student’s performance against other students (a national
group or other “norm”).
• Student performance is assessed relative to the other students.
• ▪ Describes student’s performance or progress in relation to others of
the same peer group, age Or ability.
• ▪ Assessment to determine how a person performed in comparison
with that of a group.
• ▪ It is used to describe students performance according to relative
position in some known Group.
• ▪ Standardized test that compares and ranks test takers from low to
high achievers

4. • May involve ranking or scaling a pupil to help with streaming classes
• ▪ May look at cross-school achievements to compare achievement in
particular
• groups, subjects and years wit local and national levels of attainment
• ▪ Compare an individual's performance to the performance of other
people/Group.
• (Accomplished statistically by “norming” the test with large numbers
of people.)
• ▪ Require varying item difficulties.
• ▪ Assume not everybody is going to “GET IT”, Discriminate those
who “GOT IT” from those who didn’t.

5. • Used for ...
• ▪College placement
• ▪Competition comparisons
• ▪Comparing apples & oranges (countries, states, school districts)
• Examples: Usually multiple choice
• ❑ Khalid’s score in the periodical exams is below the mean
• ❑ Sameer ranked 5th in the unit test in Physics
• ❑ Ahmad’s percentile rank in the Math achievement test is 88.

6. NORM-REFERENCED ASSESSMENT
Advantages
• Compares students' performances against similar groups across the nation
• ▪ Proven track record of reliability and dependable rank order from highest to
lowest
• ▪ Broad coverage of academic standards
• ▪ Easy to administer
• ▪ Shows student performance relative to group.
• ▪ Ensures a “spread” between top and bottom of the class for clear
• grade setting

7. • Top and bottom performances can sometimes be very close.
• Dispenses with absolute criteria for performance.
• Results are limited e to a classroom teacher
• Opportunity to learn may not exist
• Expensive and time consuming
• Scoring could be flawed
NORM REFERENCED ASSESSMENT
Disadvantages

8. Criterion-Referenced ASSESSMENT
• Measures A Student’s Performance Against A Goal, Specific Objective, Or Standard.
• ▪ Student Performance Is Assessed Against A Set Of Predetermined Standards.
• ▪ Compares An Individual's Performance To The Acceptable Standard Of Performance
• For Those Tasks.
• ▪ Designed To Measure Student Performance Against A Fix Set Of Predetermined Criteria
• For A Specific Grade Level.
• ▪ Helps The Teacher That The Student Has Learned Specific Information
• ▪ Used To Confirm Full Understanding.
• ▪ Is Used When The Teacher Wants To Determine How Well The Students Have Learned
• Specific Knowledge Or Skills In A Certain Course Or Subject Matter.

9. • Used In The Assessment Of Vocational And Academic Qualifications
• ▪ Results Are Given On A PASS/FAIL, COMPETENT/NOT Basis.
• ▪ Results In Yes-no Decisions About Competence.
• ▪ Results Are Conclusive And Usually Open To Review
• ▪ Concerned With National Examination And Other Assessment Bodies
• ▪ Requires Completely Specified Objectives.
• Asks: Can This Person Do That Which Has Been Specified In The
Objectives?
• ▪ Reported As A Grade Or Percentage
• ▪ Based On A Predetermined Set Of Criteria. For Instance:
• 90% And Up=a; 80% To 89.99%=B; 70% To 79.99%=C; 60% To 69.99%=D;
Below 60% = F

10. • ▪Examples: (End of unit test; Quizzes;
vocabulary test; summer reading test; home
work)
• ▪Aziz can construct a pie graph with 75%
accuracy
• ▪Fareed scored 7 out of 10 in the spelling test
• ▪Usman can encode an article with no more
than 5 errors in spelling

11. Criterion-Referenced ASSESSMENT
Applications/Used for .........
• ▪ Measuring Performance & Assigning Grades(certification Of
Skills)
• Diagnostic Purposes: Individual Skill Deficiencies
• Motivation
• Influencing Study Habits
• Improving Classroom Effectiveness (Evaluation And Revision
Of Instruction)

12. Criterion-referenced ASSESSMENT
Strengths
• Measures Student Performance Against A Specific Curriculum Standard
• Sets Minimum Performance Expectations.
• Demonstrate What Students Can And Cannot Do In Relation To Important
Content-area Standards.
• ▪ Pre- And Post Assessment To Inform Instruction
• ▪ Identifies The Strengths And Weaknesses To A Specific Curriculum
• Easy To Administer

13. Criterion-referenced ASSESSMENT
Weaknesses
• ▪ Some times it’s hard to know just where to set boundary conditions.
• Lack of comparison data with other students and/or schools.
• Tend to focus on specific skills
• Local standards are what students need to know
• Results may not reflect general aptitudes
• Expensive
• Everyone may get an “A”