TOPIC 10

Analysis of test Scores

Describing Test Scores
As a teacher, you have often been asked
to comment on the overall performance
of your pupils after a test. Questions
normally raised are:

• Bagaimana prestasi pelajar Kelas A?

• Adakah prestasi pelajar Kelas A lebih
baik daripada Kelas B?
• Based on a bunch of raw scores, it is
difficult for us to describe the overall
performance of the students and to make
inter-group comparison.
Class A Class B

46, 63, 51, 43, 63, 56, 65, 47, 40, 66,
54, 48, 64, 45, 56, 64, 50, 54, 43, 46,
57, 45, 48, 66, 52, 67, 55, 45, 46, 52,
66, 54, 61, 60, 57, 76, 54, 51, 50, 57,
45, 51, 47, 63, 68 35, 71, 47, 53, 58

What is the overall performance of each

class?
To answer the questions, there is a need to
summarise the scores obtained by the SS.

One method suggested is the use of MEAN (min).

Class A:
ΣX 46 + 63+……68
Mean = ----------- = -------------------------- = 54.92
N 25

Class B:
ΣX 56 + 65+……58
Mean = ----------- = -------------------------- = 53.92
N 25
Class A : Mean = 54.92

Class B : Mean = 53.92

Class A > Class B

MEAN (Min)
The mean score allows us to describe
• how the class has performed on the whole
• How the class has performed compared to other
classes
Task :
Examine the two sets of test scores (max = 300) and
compute the mean.
SET A: 95, 100, 105, 110, 115 Mean = 105
SET B: 95, 100, 105, 110, 275 Mean = 137

Is the mean score ALWAYS a GOOD representation of a set of

test scores?
MEDIAN (Median)
SET A SET B
95 95
100 100
105 MEDIAN 105
110 110
115 275
Mean = 105 Mean = 137
Mean in Set B is not a typical score because of the
presence of an extreme score (i.e. 275). Use
MEDIAN.

Median = value that falls in the middle when the test

scores are arranged in order from the lowest
to the highest.
MODE (Mod)

Mode is the most frequently occurring score in a set of

test scores

Can you find the mode of the following set of test

scores?
44, 58, 64, 64, 66, 66, 66,
72, 72, 72, 72, 81, 81, 91

Mode = 72
 Marks Frequency Percentage
Distribution of
35 1 2.9
BM marks
41 1 2.9
42 1 2.9
43 1 2.9
45 3 8.6
17 46 1 2.9
47 1 2.9
49 2 5.7
50 2 5.7
51 4 11.4
median
52 1 2.9
53 2 5.7
54 1 2.9

57 7 20.0
mode 60 1 2.9
62 1 2.9
17
63 1 2.9
64 1 2.9
mean = 1863/35 66 1 2.9
71 1 2.9
= 53.2
75 1 2.9
Measures of Central Tendency
(Ukuran Memusat)

• Mean, median and mode are three measures of

central tendency. They are the scores that BEST
REPRESENT the entire set of test scores.

• Median for a set of even test scores is the average

of the two middle scores
(40 + 70)
20, 30, 40, 70, 90, 98 median = ------------------ = 55
2
• A set of test scores may have >1 mode
20, 20, 20, 31, 45, 76, 76, 76, 92, 84

mode = 20, 76
GROUPING TEST SCORES
(Grouped Frequency Distribution &
HISTOGRAM)

Interval Frequency
33 – 37 1
38 – 42 2
43 – 47 6
48 – 52 9
53 – 57 10
58 – 62 2
63 – 67 3
68 – 72 1
73 – 77 1
GROUPED FREQUENCY
DISTRIBUTION HISTOGRAM
Negatively Skewed Distribution
Positively Skewed Distribution
DISPERSION
You have given a test to Class A Class B Class C
your pupils in Class A, B 38 20 25
and C. Given below are 34 20 24
the marks obtained by
the pupils of each class. 26 20 23
Maximum marks = 40. 24 20 22
20 20 20
Based on the measures 20 20 20
of central tendency, can 16 20 18
you rank the classes in 14 20 17
terms of their 6 20 16
performance?
2 20 15
Comparison based on measures of
central tendency

Class Mean Median Mode

A 20 20 20

B 20 20 20

C 20 20 20
 Standard Deviation (Sisihan Piawai)
Class A X X–X (X – X)²
38 38 – 20 = 18 324
34 34 – 20 = 14 196 ∑ (X – X)²
26 26 – 20 = 6 36
SD = -------
N -1
24 24 – 20 = 4 16 1144
= ---------------
20 20 – 20 = 0 0
9
20 20 – 20 = 0 0
16 16 – 20 = - 4 16 = √ 127.1
14 14 – 20 = - 6 36
= 11.3
6 6 – 20 = - 14 196
2 2 – 20 = - 18 324
Mean (X ) = 20 ∑ (X – X)² =
1144
The marks obtained by the SS deviate from the mean by a SD unit of 11.3
marks.
 Standard Deviation (Sisihan Piawai)
Class B X X–X (X – X)²
20 20 – 20 = 0 0
20 20 – 20 = 0 0 ∑ (X – X)²
20 20 – 20 = 0 0
SD = -------
N-1
20 20 – 20 = 0 0 0
= ---------------
20 20 – 20 = 0 0
9
20 20 – 20 = 0 0
20 20 – 20 = 0 0 = √ 0.0
20 20 – 20 = 0 0
= 0.0
20 20 – 20 = 0 0
20 20 – 20 = 0 0
Mean (X ) = 20 ∑ (X – X)² = 0

The marks obtained by the SS do not deviate from the mean

 Standard Deviation (Sisihan Piawai)
Class C X X–X (X – X)²
25 25 – 20 = 5 25
24 24 – 20 = 4 16 ∑ (X – X)²
23 23 – 20 = 3 9
SD = -------
N -1
22 22 – 20 = 2 4 108
= ---------------
20 20 – 20 = 0 0
9
20 20 – 20 = 0 0
18 18 – 20 = -2 4 = √ 12
17 17 – 20 = -3 9
= 3.5
16 16 – 20 = -4 16
15 15 – 20 = -5 25
Mean (X ) = 20 ∑ (X – X)² =
108
The marks obtained by the SS deviate from the mean by a SD unit of 3.29
marks.
• SD indicates the dispersion of the scores.
• SD allows us to make meaningful
comparison about the performance of
different groups of students.
Χ
Χ Χ
Χ ΧΧ Χ
Χ Χ ΧΧ ΧΧ
ΧΧ ΧΧΧΧ ΧΧ
ΧΧ Χ Χ
Χ Χ Χ
Χ
Χ
Class A Class B Class C
 68.26 %

-2SD -1SD 0 +1SD +2SD

A 8.7 20 31.3

C 16.5 20 23.5

COMPARING PERFORMANCE BETWEEN

CLASS A & C
Exercise:

Given below are X and SD of the test scores of

three classes, X, Y and Z.

Which class has the best performance?

Class X X = 39 SD = 4.00
Class Y X = 39 SD = 2.00
Class Z X = 39 SD = 1.00
 68.26 %

-2SD -1SD 0 +1SD +2SD

X 35 39 43

Y 37 39 41

Z 38 39 40
Interpretation

• For Class X, about 68 % of SS scored between 35 and 43

marks.
• For Class Y, about 68 % of SS scored between
37 and 41 marks.
• For Class Z, about 68 % of SS scored between 38 and 40
marks.

Class Z performed the best in the test because

2/3of the students obtained between 38 and 40
marks.
Range (Julat)

45, 52, 54, 57, 61, 65, 65, 66, 70, 72, 73, 75, 78,
80.

Lowest Highest
Score Score

Range = Highest Score – Lowest Score

= 80 – 45
= 35
INTERPRETING INDIVIDUAL SCORES
FROM DIFFERENT TESTS

A test only gives the raw score (skor mentah) of a pupil.

The raw score by itself doesn’t say much about the
performance of the pupil, unless we can compare his/her
score with the scores obtained by other pupils taking the
same test.
Zul’s final exam results: How is Zul’s performance in
Science - 80 each subject?
History - 72 In which subject does Zul
English - 40 perform the best ?
To answer the two Subj. Mean SD SKOR
questions, we need to
know how the other Sains 90 10 80
pupils perform in each
test based on its mean Sej. 60 12 72
and SD

Eng. 40 15 40
 Sains Mean = 90 Sej. Mean = 60
SD = 10 SD = 12

-3 -2 -1 0 +1 +2 +3 -3 -2 -1 0 +1 +2 +3

80 90 60 72

Sains Score is 1 SD below the mean. Sej. Score is 1 SD above the mean.
Zal did better than 16% of the pupils. Zal did better than 84 % of the pupils.
 Mean = 40
Eng Zul did best
SD = 15
on Sejarah,
followed by
English and
Science

-3 -2 -1 0 +1 +2 +3

40

English score is at the mean

Zul did better than 50 % of the pupils.
Z Score

• Zul’s Sej. score is 1 SD above the Mean ( z = +1)

• Zul’s English score is exactly at the mean ( z = 0)
• Zul’s Sains score is 1 SD below the mean (z = -1)

z score indicates how many SDs a raw

score is placed above/below the mean
Sns Eng Sej

Z -4 -3 -2 -1 0 +1 +2 +3 +4
Score
CONVERTING RAW SCORE TO Z SCORE
X-X
Z = --------------
SD
Kumar obtained 52 marks in a test, which has a mean of
70 and SD of 7.5. What’s Kumar’s Z score?
52 – 70 -18
Kumar’s score 2.4 SD
z = -------------- = -------- = -2.4 below the mean
7.5 7.5

- 2.4

47.5 55 62.5 70
52 Mean
EXERCISE : Arif obtained the following raw scores
in the Maths, Chemistry dan Physics
tests. In which subject did Arif achieve
the best performance ?

Subject Mean SD Raw score Z score

Maths 50 7 60 +1.43
Chem 75 10 70 - 0.50
Phys 80 4 75 - 1.25
-1.25 -.50 +1.43
0

Maths 36 43 50 57 60 64
Chem 55 65 70 75 85 95
Phys 72 75 76 80 84 88
A class teacher wants to give a reward to the best student
in English.
Based on Semester 1 and Semester 2 exams, he
discovered that 2 students got the highest mean. Who
should he give the reward?

Sem. I Sem II Mean

Gopal 90 70 80
Asmah 85 75 80

Mean 72 77
SD 7 8
 Sem. I Sem. II Total

Gopal 90 – 72 18 70 – 77 7
Z = ----------- = ------- Z = ------------- = -
7 7 ------ 1.70
8 8
= + 2.57 = -.875

Asmah 85 – 72 13 75 – 77 2
Z = ----------- = ------- Z = ------------- = -
7 7 ------ 1.61
8 8
= + 1.86 = -.25

Gopal’s z score is higher than 1.61

Asmah’s. 1.70
Gopal’s performance is better
than Asmah’s.
Mean
CONVERTING z SCORE TO T SCORE

To eliminate the minus sign,

z score with mean = 0 & SD = 1

T score with mean = 50 & SD = 10

T = 10z + 50
CONVERSION EXERCISE ( z T)

z=0 T = 10 (0) + 50 = 50
z=1 T = 10 (1) + 50 = 60
z=2 T = 10 (2) + 50 = 70
z=3 T = 10 (3) + 50 = 80
z = -1 T = 10 (-1) + 50 = 40
z = -2 T = 10 (-2) + 50 = 30
z = -3 T = 10 (-3) + 50 = 20
 (68.26%)

SD -3 -2 -1 0 +1 +2
+3
z score -3 -2 -1 0 +1 +2 +3

T score 20 30 40 50 60 70 80
Exercise
Jan Apr
Mamat obtained a score
of 62 for Maths in Jan Test Test
monthly test and 81 in Mean 56 72
April monthly test.
SD 4 6
Has Mamat’s performance
improved from Jan to
May?
Comparing Jan & Apr Performance

62 - 56
81 - 72
• Z = ---------------= 1.5 • Z = ---------------=
4 1.5
6

• T = 10 (1.5) + 50 • T = 10 (1.5) + 50
= 65 = 65

What is your conclusion?

 (68.26%)

SD -3 -2 -1 0 +1 +2
+3
z score -3 -2 -1 0 +1 +2 +3

T score 20 30 40 50 60 70 80
JAN 44 48 52 56 60 62 64 68

APR 54 60 66 72 78 81 84 90
Interpreting scores from Standardised Tests

A standardised test is often accompanied by NORMS,

which allows teachers to compare the performance of
their students with the rest of the population.

Norms are established based on a representative group

of students referred to as a NORM SAMPLE.
Hypothetical NORMS on Reading Ability in BM
Reading Ability Interpretation
(8 Years Old)
Ah Hong, an 8-year old student, obtained a
score of 48 on the test. What can a teacher
Score Percentile say about Ah Hong’s reading ability?
Ah Hong is reading as well or better than 84
50 96 % of the 8-year-old students in the norm
49 90 sample.

48 84

47 78
46 72
84%
45 66
44 60
48
Descriptive Statistics vs Inferential Statistics

• Descriptive statistics (Statistik Diskriptif)

Statistical techniques that are used to summarise a
collection of data (Teknik statistik yang digunakan untuk
merumuskan satu koleksi data).

• Inferential Statistics (Statistik Inferensi)

Statistical techniques that are used to make inferences
about the population based on the descriptive data of a
sample (Teknik statistik yang digunakan untuk membuat
inferensi terhadap populasi berdasarkan data diskriptif
yang diperoleh daripada salah satu sampelnya)
Descriptive

Inferential Population
Sample statistics

Statistics
Statistical Techniques (Some Examples)

• Descriptive statistics • Inferential Statistics

 Mean  t test
 Mode  ANOVA
 Median  ANCOVA
 SD  MANCOVA
 Percentages  Pearson r
 Frequency count  Spearman rank order
 Histogram correlation
 Pie chart  Mann-Whitney U test
 Bar graph  Wilcoxon signed-rank test
 Line graph, etc  Chi-square, etc