Which statement is usually NOT true about all norm-referenced standardized achievement tests?

A) About 50 percent of all those who take the test will be below the median.
B) The higher the standard error of measurement, the lower the reliability.
C) The standard deviations are always the same, regardless of test publishing company.
D) All of these are true.

Norm-Referenced

A type of test that compares an individual's performance to a statistical norm or average performance of a defined group.

Standard Error of Measurement

The range of scores where we would expect a person’s score to fall if he or she took the instrument over and over again—in other words, where a “true” score might lie. It is calculated by taking the square root of 1 minus the reliability and multiplying that number by the standard deviation of the desired score.

Median

A measure of central tendency that is the middle score, or the score for which 50% of scores fall above and 50% fall below. In a skewed curve or skewed distribution of test scores, the median is generally the most accurate measure of central tendency since it is not affected by unusually high or low scores.