What type of testing ranks students based on their performance relative to a representative group?

Norm-referenced testing is designed to evaluate a student's performance in relation to a specified group, often referred to as a "norming group." This type of assessment provides insights into how an individual student compares to others, highlighting relative performance rather than absolute achievement. It is particularly useful for identifying students who fall within various performance categories—such as below average, average, or above average—allowing educators to understand where a student stands in the context of a larger population. This ranking mechanism helps in making educational decisions, placing students in appropriate learning environments, or identifying areas needing improvement based on comparative results.

Criterion-referenced testing, on the other hand, assesses student performance against a fixed set of criteria or learning standards, without comparison to other students. Formative assessment focuses on monitoring student learning to provide ongoing feedback, while summative assessment evaluates student learning at the end of an instructional period. These different testing types serve distinct purposes in educational measurement, making norm-referenced testing unique for its emphasis on relative performance.