Which statement best distinguishes criterion-referenced from norm-referenced assessments?

• A. Norm-referenced measures performance against a defined criterion; criterion-referenced compare performance to a norm group.
• B. Criterion-referenced measures performance against a defined criterion; norm-referenced compare performance to a norm group.
• C. Criterion-referenced assessments are always standardized; norm-referenced are not.
• D. Norm-referenced assessments evaluate progress against a specific standard.

Answer: (B)

The key idea is how performance is interpreted: criterion-referenced assessments measure what a student can do against a defined standard, while norm-referenced assessments measure how a student does compared with a group of peers.

Criterion-referenced tests judge mastery of specific skills or standards—if the student meets the criterion, they pass, regardless of how others perform. Norm-referenced tests, on the other hand, place a student on a curve relative to a norm group to show where they stand in comparison to peers.

So the best statement says that criterion-referenced measures performance against a defined criterion, while norm-referenced compare performance to a norm group. For example, a math test that requires demonstrating a particular procedure or reaching a specific score criterion is criterion-referenced; a test that reports a percentile rank based on peer performance is norm-referenced.

The other options mix up these relationships or attach ideas (like standardization or progress toward a standard) that aren’t the defining difference.