Standardized test

A standardized test is a test that is administered and scored in a consistent or standard manner. Standardized tests are designed in such a way that the questions and interpretations are consistent and are administered and scored in a predetermined, standard manner.^[1]

A standardized test is administered and scored uniformly for all test takers. Any test in which the same test is given in the same manner to all test takers, and graded in the same manner for everyone, is a standardized test. Standardized tests do not need to be high-stakes tests, time-limited tests, multiple-choice tests, academic tests, or tests given to large numbers of test takers. Standardized tests can take various forms, including written, oral, or practical test. The standardized test may evaluate many subjects, including driving, creativity, athleticism, personality, professional ethics, as well as academic skills.

The opposite of standardized testing is non-standardized testing, in which either significantly different tests are given to different test takers, or the same test is assigned under significantly different conditions or evaluated differently.

Most everyday quizzes and tests taken by students during school meet the definition of a standardized test: everyone in the class takes the same test, at the same time, under the same circumstances, and all of the tests are graded by their teacher in the same way. However, the term standardized test is most commonly used to refer to tests that are given to larger groups, such as a test taken by all adults who wish to acquire a license to get a particular job, or by all students of a certain age. Most standardized tests are summative assessments (assessments that measure the learning of the participants at the end of an instructional unit).

Because everyone gets the same test and the same grading system, standardized tests are often perceived as being fairer than non-standardized tests. Such tests are often thought of as more objective than a system in which some test takers get an easier test and others get a more difficult test. Standardized tests are designed to permit reliable comparison of outcomes across all test takers because everyone is taking the same test and being graded the same way.^[2]