Which of the following test scores indicates test performance within normal limits?

Which of the following test scores indicates test performance within normal limits?

• A. z = ‐1.75 (i.e, 1.75 standard deviations below the mean)
• B. Standard score of 95
• C. Percentile rank of 12
• D. Any standard deviation score between 0 and ‐1

Answer: (B)

Normal limits are typically identified by scores that fall near the average range, within the central portion of the distribution. On many standard tests, a standard score of 95 sits just below the mean (mean 100, SD 15), translating to a z-score of about -0.33—well inside the range considered normal. That precise value clearly indicates typical performance for the general population. The other options point to more clearly below-average performance or are ambiguous in how they define normal limits: a z of -1.75 corresponds to a much lower score, and a percentile of 12 maps to a below-average position; the last option describes a range rather than a single, clearly normal value. Therefore, the standard score of 95 best reflects normal-limits performance.

Normal limits are typically identified by scores that fall near the average range, within the central portion of the distribution. On many standard tests, a standard score of 95 sits just below the mean (mean 100, SD 15), translating to a z-score of about -0.33—well inside the range considered normal. That precise value clearly indicates typical performance for the general population. The other options point to more clearly below-average performance or are ambiguous in how they define normal limits: a z of -1.75 corresponds to a much lower score, and a percentile of 12 maps to a below-average position; the last option describes a range rather than a single, clearly normal value. Therefore, the standard score of 95 best reflects normal-limits performance.