Page 157 - DEDU504_EDUCATIONAL_MEASUREMENT_AND_EVALUATION_ENGLISH

Unit 11 : Development of Norms of a Test

who should represent the entire population. Then their height will be measured and average Notes
will be calculated. This average will be called the height age norm for all 12-year students.
Now we can measure a student’s height and analyze it in accordance with this norm. If his
height is more than this norm, then he will be called a taller than average boy. For example,
if the average height of 15-year old age group is 135 cm, and Nishant’s height is 145 cm, then
we can say that Nishant is taller than his average age group, or that he is taller as relative
to his age. On the other hand, if the average height of 16-year boys is 145 cm, then we can
say that his height is equal to 16-year age group. In the field of intelligence measurement,
the concept of mental age is a form of age norms. If a student is able to solve all questions
meant for an 18-year age group, then he will be said to have 18-year mental age, even if his
physical age is merely 15 years. In all intelligence tests, norms are presented in the form of
mental age and norms in achievement tests are presented in the form of educational age.
Age norms can be easily established. This is the reason that they are widely used in
educational field.
“Age or grade norms locate the pupil in terms of age or grade groups, but not necessarily
with pupils of his own age and grade.”
—D. Baron and H.W. Bernard
Limitations
(a) Chief limitation of age norms is that the development and growth of each child is not
uniform in all age groups. A child grows three times more in 5-7 age group than 11.14 age
group. Consequently, the difference in norms is not uniform for different age groups.
(b) These norms cannot be used in personality tests, interest tests, aptitude tests, attitude tests
etc.
(c) The unit of age is unsuitable to express the level of ability during adolescence and youth.
(d) These norms should be used only when all variables increase along with age; such as
weight, intelligence, educational achievement etc.
(e) The selection of representative sample is a difficult task.
(f) Some traits do not show mental development with age, such as vocabulary increases with
age, but maze tracing is obstructed after adolescence. Therefore, this type of traits cannot
be shown by age norms.
(g) These norms are appropriate for the students up to the age group of 20 years.
2. Grade Norms : Grade norms are similar to age norms, with the only difference that while
age norms are related with age, grade norms are related with class. They are also called
class norms. By grade norms in a test is meant the average scores of students of different
classes. This is administered on a classified students in the school. Like age norms, the other
variable should be such which increases with the age.
To ascertain grade norms, a test is administered on students of different classes. The students
selected from a specific class represent the entire population of that class. Then the scores of
students for each class are found out. The average scores for each class are called grade
norms for that class. Supposing, we want to establish grade norms in science. Representative
groups are taken from different classes, as VII, VIII, IX and X, and their average scores are
found out. Now, the students whose present achievement has to be measured is administered
the test, and his scores are explained on the basis of grade norms. If a VII grade student is
able to achieve the average score of IX grade, then he will be considered a strong student.
On the contrary, if a IX grade student attains the average score meant for a VII grade, he
will be called a weak student. Grade norms are mostly established for achievement tests.
Thus, grade norms are related with the performance of average students of all classes.

LOVELY PROFESSIONAL UNIVERSITY 151