Standardised scores - can't make sense of it

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Hi, I receive my son's standardised scores for maths and English. They are all above 120 but according to the SATs guidelines, the maximum score is 115. I asked his class teacher what the max score is but did not receive a clear response. He just turned 6 last month and is at private school. Any ideas how best to make sense of these scores?

If it's an independent school, then those won't be KS1 results.
Presumably they've used CATs or some similar. So 100 is the average of the whole population. 110 is one standard deviation above the mean, 120 is 2 standard deviations above the norm, etc.
These tests usually only measure to four or five standard deviations above the norm, i.e. 140 or 150.

Oh thanks. His raw scores were pretty good. For instance, in maths he dropped only 2 points out of the total but his standardised score was a little over 120. I still don't get it.

I wish they would explain more clearly what the scores above 100 mean (not just that 100 is the average but rather some more insight into what your child's score means).

Thanks for the quick response RedandGreen.

Well, he may only have dropped two marks, but the test may have only tested up to a certain level, if you see what I mean?
So it could have been that 120 or whatever was the highest available on the particular test (and don't forget it is standardised to take account of age etc)

You need to know exactly what tests were administered. Private schools sometime use INCAS (primary) & MIDYIS/YELLIS (secondary)

In standardised scores 100 is average with a deviation of 15.

A score of 85-115 is average (
A score of 116-129 is above average
A score of 130 plus is exceptional

Sorry RedandGreen, I don't quite understand your first sentence. So if he drops 2 marks and the test only tests up to a certain level, what does that mean?

Hi Alexander, let's say a child gets 23/25 but a standardised score of 124, would only 25/25 count as exceptional?

You need to know what tests were administered.
Incas for example are interactive and computer based so if a child gets questions correct they are given harder ones & vice versus until the level is determined. This score is then standardised according to their age.

If two children perform exactly the same but one is 6 years 1 month & the other is 6 years 8 months the first child will get a higher standardised score.

100 is the average score for an average child, above means that they are above average. The majority of the population, 80%, will score within 15 of 100, so 85-115.

So for your child, 120, is above average.

The standardisation also takes into account the age of the child taking the test, so if he dropped 2 marks and scored 120 a younger child would score higher if they got the same amount correct.

120 is good but not exceptional and at KS1 a single mark will have a big impact on the standardised score.

They might be NFER tests.

Thanks. Allgirls, if 1 mark has a huge impact, then it means the tests are unreliable. The standard deviation would be pretty wide.

NFER seems to be for older kids. He is still in year 1.

I understand the scores are standardised and takes account of age. I guess without knowing the maximum it will difficult to understand the results completely. Frustrating that the school chooses not to divulge.

NFER do a year 1 test.

When my kids did Incas them we got a letter explaining them.

NFER tests start in Year 1 in my area.

The scores aren’t unreliable in as much as they are tested on huge numbers, but one snapshot for your child gives an indication rather than a reliable result. In Year 1 the teacher’s assessment of his level and progress are a better indication. The standardised scores are worth tracking for a year or 2 and if consistent then become a better indicator.

But the standardised score IS his result, it gives his performance in relation to a far wider group than his class or peer group.

It means your child sat one test and did well.

It doesn't mean he will be running the country at 10. Nor does it mean he will remain above average for the rest of his school life.

Seriously they aren't divulging because it doesn't really matter.

I don't think school can tell you anything that will give more information to "only dropped one or two marks". If they're that close to the ceiling the test is not designed to effectively discriminate at that level. Whatever scaled scores they assign are going to be pretty meaningless when it comes down to just the odd slip.

If he's 6, then maybe it's time to relax and stop worrying about test scores. Does he enjoy maths? That's a much better indicator of whether he'll be good at it in years to come.

My 5 year old told the occupational therapist the other day (he's being investigated for sensory issues) that he didn't like maths. What he really meant was that he didn't like having to stop playing and sit for long periods. Because he's 5.

Greentulip, I have no idea why you've taken this angle. I have no where suggested that I think my son is a genius. I would be on the gifted and talented section, if I did. I was given standardised scores for my son and I'm simply trying to understand them. Nothing more and nothing less. Any extra meaning you are seeking to project into my questions has everything to do with you and nothing to do with me.

Shackup, the results are important and communicate some information worth understanding about relative attainment. For completeness I wanted a sense of what the maximum score is.

Catkind, that makes sense. I think they track them on a yearly basis so maybe the real value of this is it will show how he progresses and the school's value-add over time?

Thanks to those of you who offered constructive insights.

I thought year group based nefer English/maths tests are pretty pointless to see the ability of above average children. They seem too easy. Maybe useful to confirm your child is above average not just in the school, but also in the national standard.

I suggest that after half term you ask your child’s school which standardised tests they actually use (CEM, NFER etc) as without that information our answers are pure speculation.