Question

As a counselor, you see assessment results reported in terms of both percentile ranks and Z scores. What do these two methods of score interpretation have in common?

A) They both measure absolute performance
B) They both provide a measure of relative standing
C) They are used for qualitative assessments
D) They are not related to each other

Answer 1

Both percentile ranks and Z scores provide a measure of relative standing. They do not measure absolute performance or serve as qualitative assessments but compare an individual's score against a group or population.

Step-by-step explanation:

Both percentile ranks and Z scores are methods of describing a score's position relative to a group. The thing they have in common is B) They both provide a measure of relative standing. Percentile ranks denote the percentage of scores that are the same as or lower than the score in question, while Z scores indicate how many standard deviations a score is from the mean.

For example, if a student is in the 90th percentile, this means that 90 percent of the test scores are the same as or lower than that student's score. Similarly, a Z score helps compare the individual's score with the average score of the population, measured in units of standard deviation.

Universities and colleges often use percentile ranks to interpret SAT scores and set admission standards. That establishes a minimum test score for acceptance, like in the case of Duke accepting scores at or above the 75th percentile.