Which assessment provides information on student performance with respect to test items and not other students?

Which assessment provides information on student performance with respect to test items and not other students?

• A. Norm-Referenced Assessments
• B. Criterion-Referenced Assessments
• C. Ipsative Assessments
• D. Summative Assessments

Answer: (B)

Assessments that measure mastery of specific criteria provide information on how a student performs on each item against defined standards, independent of how other students do. This type of assessment shows whether the learner has demonstrated the targeted skills or knowledge described by the criteria, item by item, giving a clear picture of mastery for each objective. For example, a test might include criteria like “solves a one-step equation” or “interprets a simple graph.” The results tell you which criteria the student has mastered and which need more work, rather than ranking the student against classmates. Norm-referenced assessments, by contrast, compare a student to peers to place them in a relative ranking. Ipsative assessments compare current performance to the student’s own previous performance to show growth. Summative assessments summarize learning over a period and can be either criterion- or norm-based, but the key point here is mastery of specific items relative to fixed criteria, which is the hallmark of criterion-referenced assessment.

Assessments that measure mastery of specific criteria provide information on how a student performs on each item against defined standards, independent of how other students do. This type of assessment shows whether the learner has demonstrated the targeted skills or knowledge described by the criteria, item by item, giving a clear picture of mastery for each objective.

For example, a test might include criteria like “solves a one-step equation” or “interprets a simple graph.” The results tell you which criteria the student has mastered and which need more work, rather than ranking the student against classmates.

Norm-referenced assessments, by contrast, compare a student to peers to place them in a relative ranking. Ipsative assessments compare current performance to the student’s own previous performance to show growth. Summative assessments summarize learning over a period and can be either criterion- or norm-based, but the key point here is mastery of specific items relative to fixed criteria, which is the hallmark of criterion-referenced assessment.