LOCATING

PERCENTILES
UNDER THE
NORMAL CURVE
Lesson Objectives

At the end of this lesson, you are expected to:

1. find z-scores when probabilities are given;

and
2. locate percentiles under the normal
curve.
Pre-Assessment
Check your readiness for this lesson by
doing the following activities.
Lesson Introduction
Which of the following expressions are
familiar to you?
‘With Highest
Honors’
‘Top ten’
‘a score of 98%’
These are expressions of order.
They indicate relative standing. In real
life, many people want to belong to a
high level in terms of relative standing.
Discussion Points
Percentile
 For any set of measurements (arranged in
ascending or descending order), a percentile
(or a centile) is a point in the distribution
such that a given number of cases is below
it.
 A percentile is a measure of relative
standing. It is a descriptive measure of the
relationship of a measurement to the rest of
the data.
 Discussion Points
Percentile and z-scores
 A probability value corresponds to an area under
the normal curve.
 In the Table of Areas Under the Normal Curve, the
numbers in the extreme left and across the top are z-
scores, which are the distances along the horizontal
scale. The numbers in the body of the table are areas
or probabilities.
 The z-scores to the left of the mean are
negative values.
Discussion Points
Illustrative Example
Find the 95th percentile of a normal
curve.

Analysis
P95 means locating an area before (or below)
the point. We want to know what the z-value is
at this point.
 Discussion
STEPS
Points SOLUTION
1. Draw the appropriate
normal curve.
2. Express the given percentage as 95% is the same as 0.9500
probability.
3. Split 0.9500 into 0.5000 and 0.9500 = 0.5000 + 0.4500
0.4500.
4. Shade .5000 of the sketch of the
normal curve in Step 1.
5. Refer to the Table of Areas This area is not found in the table. It
Under the Normal Curve. Locate is between the values of 0.4495 and
the area 0.4500 in the body of 0.4505.
the table.
6. Find the z-score that corresponds Find z by interpolation, as follows.
to 0.4500 on the leftmost column.
 Discussion Points
STEPS SOLUTION
7. Find the z-value that corresponds 0.4505 ↔ z = 1.65
to 0.4505
8. Find the z-value that 0.4495 ↔ z = 1.64
corresponds to 0.4495.
9. Find the average of the two z- z = 1.645
values.
10. Locate z = 1.645 under the curve in The 95th percentile is z = 1.645.
Step 1 and make a statement.
11. Draw a line through under Do this under the sketch of the curve
the curve in Step 1. in Step 1.
12. Shade the region to the left of z = Do this under the sketch of the curve
1.645. in
Step 1.
13. Describe the shaded region. The shaded region is 95% of
the distribution.
Example Find the upper 10% of the normal curve.
STEPS SOLUTION
1. Draw the appropriate normal
curve.
2. Express the given percentage as 10% is the same as 0.1000
probability.
3. With respect to the mean, locate To the right of the mean
the upper 10%.
4. Using the upper side of the mean, 0.5000 – 0.1000 = 0.4000
find the remaining area.
5. Refer to the Table of Areas Under This area is not found in the body of
the Normal Curve. Locate the area the table, so we take 0.3997, which
0.4000 in the body of the table. is the closest value.
6. Find the z-score that corresponds z = 1.28.
to 0.3997 on the leftmost column.
 Solution to Example (continuation)
STEPS SOLUTION
7. Locate z=1.28 under the That is, the upper 10% is above z =
sketch of the curve in Step 1 1.28.
and make a statement.
8. Draw a line through Do this under the sketch of the
under the curve in Step 1. curve in Step 1.
9. Shade the region to the right of Do this under the sketch of the
z= curve in
1.28. Step 1.
10. Describe the shaded region. The shaded region is the upper
10% of the normal curve.
Example. The results of the nationwide aptitude
test in Mathematics are normally distributed with µ
= 80 and σ = 15. What is the percentile rank of a
score of 84?
STEPS SOLUTION
1. Convert the raw score of
84 to z-score form
2. Find the area that Z = 0.27 corresponds to the area
corresponds to z = 0.27. 0.1064
3. Draw the normal curve
showing the z-score.
4. Draw a line through z = 0.27 in Do this under the sketch of the
the sketch of the normal curve curve in Step 3.
in Step 3.
Example. The results of the nationwide aptitude test in
Mathematics are normally distributed with µ = 80 and σ
= 15. What is the percentile rank of a score of 84?
STEPS SOLUTION
5. Shade the required region in Do this under the sketch of the
the sketch of the normal curve curve in Step 3. The required
in Step 3 region is below z = 0.27
expressed as percentile rank.
6. Examine the shaded regions Z = 0.27 corresponds to the area
and decide what operation 0.1064
to apply
7. Compute the percentile rank Percentile rank of 84
of the score 84. =0.6064 x 100 = 60.64%
8. Make a concluding statement. The percentile rank of the score 84
in a test is 60.64%
 Summary
 A percentile is a measure of relative standing. It is a
descriptive measure of the relationship of a
measurement to the rest of the data.
 In the Table of Areas Under the Normal Curve, the
numbers in the extreme left and across the top
are z-scores, which are the distances along the
horizontal scale. The numbers in the body of the
table are areas or probabilities.
 The z-scores to the left of the mean are negative
values.