Most Standardized Tests Of Intelligence Have A Distribution Of Scores That Follows A Normal Distribution
Standardized tests of intelligence are tools used to measure a person’s intellectual capacities. Such tests are often used to assess the aptitude of students for college and university admission, and the results are reported as an IQ score or as a percentile rank. IQ scores typically have an average of 100 and a normal distribution, or bell-curve, of scores.
What is a Normal Distribution?
A normal distribution, also known as the bell-curve, represents the distribution of scores on a set of data. It is characterized by its symmetrical shape around the central point, which is the average or mean score. When applied to standardized tests of intelligence, this means that the majority of scores fall close to the average score (usually 100). In addition, the farther a score is from the mean, the rarer it is.
What Does This Mean for Standardized Tests?
Most standardized tests of intelligence have a distribution of scores that follows a normal distribution. This means that there is an equal chance of getting any score from the lowest to the highest, with the majority of scores concentrated close to the mean. Since IQ scores are reported as a percentile rank, this means that if a certain score is very rare, it has a high percentile rank.
This is why it is important to keep in mind that IQ scores are just one measure of intelligence and that other factors may be at play when evaluating a person’s aptitude. IQ scores should not be taken as an absolute measure of a person’s intelligence but rather as a tool to help measure the aptitude of a student.
Conclusion
Most standardized tests of intelligence have a distribution of scores that follows a normal distribution. This means that the majority of scores fall close to the average, and that scores further away from this average become increasingly rare. As a result, IQ scores should not be taken as a measure of absolute intelligence, but rather as a tool to help measure a student’s aptitude.