Best Practice

Interpreting the outcomes of standardised tests

Many schools use standardised tests as part of their assessment practices. To help you get the most out of standardised tests, Liz Twist outlines some of the key terms and information

Thousands of primary schools choose to use standardised tests as part of their approach to assessment. For many, the benefit lies in the reliable outcomes, the results of the tests having been trialled with a large nationally representative sample during development. Standardised tests also enable pupil performance to be benchmarked against the national average and meaningfully compared with other pupils and standardised scores from other tests.

While most tests will provide a raw score (the actual mark or score obtained by a pupil), these do not enable meaningful comparisons between tests or between pupils. From standardised tests there are at least three further outcomes that can be obtained: standardised scores, age-standardised scores, and age-related expectations.

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