What type of assessment is primarily used to compare test takers against each other?

Norm-referenced assessments are designed to evaluate a test taker's performance in relation to a specific group or population. This type of assessment provides a way to rank and compare individuals, allowing educators to see how a student performs compared to their peers. The results usually yield percentile ranks, which indicate where a student falls on a scale relative to others, making it useful for identifying top performers, those needing additional support, and understanding overall group performance.

In contrast, formative assessments focus on ongoing feedback and development throughout the learning process, rather than comparing students to one another. Criterion-referenced assessments measure a test taker's performance against a set criterion or standard, without comparison to peers. Performance assessments evaluate skills through practical tasks but do not inherently compare test takers against each other like norm-referenced assessments do.