What type of test is a norm-referenced test?

A norm-referenced test is specifically designed to compare an individual's performance to a defined group, known as the norm group. This type of assessment measures where a test taker's scores fall relative to the scores of a larger, established population, often yielding results that highlight how an individual stands in relation to their peers. The primary goal is to rank test-takers and evaluate their performance against others, which is crucial in contexts like educational assessments, where understanding a student's relative position is important for making decisions about educational placements or interventions.

In contrast, the other answer choices describe different types of assessments that do not align with the goals of norm-referenced testing. For instance, assessments that measure performance against established standards tend to focus on meeting predetermined criteria rather than comparative rankings. Similarly, assessments based solely on curriculum content and those that exclusively target skills acquisition regard knowledge or skill mastery in isolation, without the comparative aspect emphasized in norm-referenced testing.