Standardized testing is any testing which is given to large numbers of students under standard conditions and with standardized procedures. Usually they are multiple choice. Today many schools administer a standardized achievement test to prepare for their state's annual NCLB assessment. Examples of a standardized achievement tests include the California Achievement Test (CAT); Comprehensive Test of Basic Skills (CTBS), also known as the "Terra Nova"; Iowa Test of Basic Skills (ITBS) and Tests of Academic Proficiency (TAP); Metropolitan Achievement Test (MAT); and Stanford Achievement Test (SAT.)
These tests are normed, which means the results are compared across ages and grades statistically, so that a mean (average) for each grade and age are created which are the Grade Equivalent and Age Equivalent scores that are assigned to individuals. A GE (Grade Equivalent) score of 3.2 represents how a typical third grade student in the second month performed on the previous year's test.
Although standardized achievement tests are meant to compare a district's or state's educational program to a national standard, the results are often part of a student's permanent educational record.
