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Home > Research > FAQ > What is a standardized test?

What is a standardized test?

Tests are standardized when they are developed, administered, and scored using established procedures and guidelines. These procedures and guidelines ensure that all students are tested under the same conditions, that they are all given equal opportunity to determine the correct answers, and that all scores are established and interpreted using appropriate criteria. Two types of standardized tests are:

  1. norm-referenced tests, used to compare student performance to that of other students; and
  2. criterion-referenced tests, used to measure student performance against a defined set of learning requirements or expectations.

In developing standardized tests, test developers follow established procedures to create questions that reflect the curricula or the learning requirements. They also analyze the test to ensure that it measures student performance accurately and reliably. When standardized tests are given to students, there are prescribed directions for how the test is to be administered – every test in every school must be given under the same conditions to ensure that no one has an advantage. In scoring standardized tests, manual and computer-assisted analyses double check the scoring process to ensure that every student’s score is accurate. Interpreting standardized test scores is a critical process because the decisions can have significant impact on students’ lives. Many guidelines govern how test results can be applied and what evidence (usually statistical analysis) is needed to support various uses.

The more you know about the type of test being given, how it is developed, administered, scored, and interpreted, the more insight you will have in understanding the testing process, its outcomes, and, ultimately, in making decisions regarding a student’s education.