Analysis, Interpretation, and

Use of Test Data

Lesson 2
Learning Targets
• I can find the mean, median, and mode of test score
distribution
• I can determine the different measures of dispersion
• I can calculate the measure of position
• I can relate standard deviation and normal distribution
• I can transform raw scores to standardized scores (z, T
and stanine)
• I can compute the measure of covariability using the
long process and Excel
• I can interpret test data applying measures of central
tendency, variability, position, and covariability.
Measures of Central Tendency

• The word “measure of central tendency” means the

central location or point of convergence of a set of
values. Test scores have a tendency to converge at a
central value. This value is the average of the set of
scores.

• In other words, a measure of central tendency gives a

single value that represents a given set of scores. Three
commonly-used measure of central tendency or
measures of central tendency or measures of central
location are the mean, median and the mode.
 MEASURES OF CENTRAL
TENDENCY
• Mean  These are indices
• Median representing the average or
typical score attained by a
• Mode group of subjects.

 This value must best

describe the group and be a
representative of all the
observations.

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Example 1

=6+3+8+5
4

=22/4 = 5.50
 Example 2

Scores: 89, 90, 95, 92, 91, 88, 89

Mean = (89 + 90 + 95 + 92 + 91 + 88 + 89)

7
= 634
7

= 90.57
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Weighted Mean

The weighted mean is a type of mean that is

calculated by multiplying the weight associated
with a particular event or outcome with its
associated quantitative outcome and then
summing all the products together.

Formula:
Example 3
The CTE recently listed the names of people who had worked at the
college for 15, 20, 25, and 30 years. There were 8 people who had
worked for 15 years, 5 people for 20 years, 4 people for 25 years, and
1 person for 30 years. Find the mean length of service of these
teachers.

x w w.X
15 8 8(15)
20 5 5(20)
25 4 4(25)
30 1 1(30)
18 350
Example 4
Below are grades of Student 55 during the second
Semester, AY 2019-2020. Find his weighted mean (average)
grade. Will he be in the Dean’s List?

Subjects Grades Units

A 1.75 3
B 2.5 3
C 1.0 1.5
D 1.5 4
E 2.5 3
F 1.75 2
Answers
Subjects Grades (x) Units (w) x.w
A 1.75 3.0 5.25
B 2.50 3.0 7.50
C 1.00 1.5 1.50
D 1.50 4.0 6.00
E 2.50 3.0 7.50
F 1.75 2.0 3.50
Total 16.5 31.25

= 31.25
Thus, he cannot be included in
= 1.89
16.5 the Dean’s List.
 the score located at the
Median middle of a data set
It is the value separating the higher half from the lower half of a data sample, a
population, or a probability distribution.

Example 1. Find the median of the following

scores: 89, 90, 95, 92, 91, 88, and 89.

Arrange the
88, 89, 89, 90 , 91, 92, 95 scores in
ascending or
Mdn = 90 descending
order
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Example 2. Find the median of the following
scores:

Hence, the median is 56.

Mdn = 56
 Mode the score with the
highest frequency
Scores frequency
89 4
90 2
95 1
92 1
Mode = 89
91 1
88 2

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 Calculate the mean, median and mode
of the following scores:

10 17 16
14 31 10
32 30 27
10 23 28
35 20 12

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ANSWERS
10
10 10
10
10
10 Mode = 10
12
12 14
14 16
16 17
17 20 n = 15
20 23
23 27
27
28
28 Mean = 315/15
30
30 Median = 20 31
31
32
32
35 = 21
35 315

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 MEASURES OF VARIABILITY
• It indicates how spread or
scatter the scores are in the
distribution (measure of
dispersion).

Ex: Range, Mean Average

Deviation, Variance, SIQR,
Standard Deviation
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  the difference between the highest
RANGE and the lowest score in a distribution
 the most primitive way of determining variability
of scores
Group A SCORES: 88, 89, 89, 90 , 91, 92, 95

Range = 95 - 88
=7

Group B SCORES: 75, 80, 89, 90 , 90, 92, 95

Range = 95 - 75
= 20
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 STANDARD DEVIATION
the sum of squares of the score deviations
from the distribution mean divided by the
total number of cases less than 1

s = ∑x2
n–1_
where ∑x2 = ∑(X – X) 2

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 Calculate the standard deviation of the
following scores:
Case 1: 4, 9, 7, 9, 10, 25

X x x2
4 -6.67 44.44 Mean = 10.67
9 -1.67 2.78
7 -3.67 13.44 s = 269.33
9 -1.67 2.78 6–1
10 -0.67 0.44
25 14.33 205.44 = 53.87
64 269.33 s = 7.34
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 Case 2: 88, 90, 87, 87, 88, 85

X x x2
88 0.5 0.25 Mean = 87.50
90 2.5 6.25
87 -0.5 0.25
87 -0.5 0.25 s = 13.50
88 0.5 0.25 6-1
85 -2.5 6.25 = 2.7
525 13.50 s = 1.64

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Standard Deviation

Mean

-3s -2s -1s X=0 +1s +2s +3s

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Case 2 Illustration
x 87.5
s 1.64

1s 1.64
2s 3.28
3s 4.92

X =87.5
82.58 84.22 85.86 89.14 90.78 92.42
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Standard Deviation

68%

-3s -2s -1s X +1s +2s +3s

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Standard Deviation

95%

-3s -2s X +2s +3s

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Standard Deviation

99.7%+

-3s X +3s
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Varying Standard Deviations…
 In most cases, the standard
deviation is used to describe
the degree of dispersion,
spread or variation of scores
in a distribution.

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 Calculate the standard deviation of the
following scores:

Scores Scores
A 6 3 B 2 4
4 4 6 6
7 4 6 7
2 3 7 8
10 9 3 8
Which group is more scattered?
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 Calculate the standard deviation of
the following scores:

26 31 32 24
41 24 16 46
37 42 26 70
12 30 37 28
10 19 33 18

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 Measures of Location
• percentile
• decile
•quartile

Distribution of scores
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 Percentile
Formula:
xN
P=
100
where
x = the desired percentile rank
N = number of cases

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Illustration
Determine the score equivalent to percentile
80 in the following test results.
45 80 45
65 23 67
67 43 66
87 56 89
65 29 78
54 88 76
52 75 72
89 67 56
76 34 55
89 51 45

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 Procedures
1. Arrange the scores in an ascending
order 23 55 75
29 56 76
34 56 76
43 65 78
45 65 80
lowest 45 66 87
45 67 88
51 67 89 highest
52 67 89
54 72 89

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Procedures
2. Compute P80 using the formula.
23 – 1st 55 75 – 21st
P80 = xN/100; N = 30 29 – 2nd 56 76 – 22nd
34 56 76 – 23rd
= (80)(30)/100 43 65 78 – 24th
= 24 45 65 80
Hence, P80 is the 24th score in the 45 66 87
45 67 88
distribution. 51 67 89
52 67 89
P80 54 72 89

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Procedures
P80 is the 24th score in the distribution (P80 = 78).
23 55 75
29 56 76 Thus, if your score is 78, it
34 56 76 means you surpassed
43 65 78 79% of the class. It can
45 65 80 also be that 20% of the
45 66 87 class have scores higher
45 67 88 than you got.
51 67 89
52 67 89
54 72 89

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Look at this…
P80

P10 P20 P30 P40 P50 P60 P70 P80 P90

80% 20%

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What P50 means?
P50

P10 P20 P30 P40 P50 P60 P70 P80 P90

50% 50%

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Interpretation of Percentile
• Percentiles indicates the relative standing of a specific
score in a data set. What is important here is where
one stands in relation to everyone else rather than in
relation to the mean.

• A useful and convenient property of percentiles is

universal interpretation. Being at 95th percentile
means that 95% of the values lie below yours, while 5%
lie above it. This is irrespective of the fact whether one
is analyzing weights of packages or exam scores.

NOTE: This procedure and interpretation is also similar

to finding the decile and quartile.
P95 means… P95

P10 P20 P30 P40 P50 P60 P70 P80 P90

5%

95%

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P60 means… P60

P10 P20 P30 P40 P50 P60 P70 P80 P90

40%

60%

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 Decile
Formula:
xN
D=
10

where
x = the desired peecile rank
N = number of cases

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Illustration
D5

D1 D2 D3 D4 D5 D6 D7 D8 D9

50% 50%

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Illustration
D7

D1 D2 D3 D4 D5 D6 D7 D8 D9

70% 30%

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Example
Find D3 and D6 in the Solutions
following data set: Arrange the scores in
ascending order:
78 87
90 85 77 85 D3 = xN/10
80 79 78 87 Given: x = 3; N = 20
87 92 30% 78 87
81 95 79 88
79 90 D3 = xN/10
77 92
80 92 = 3(20)/10
92 79
93 85 80 92 = 60/10
78 88 81 92 = 6th score
80 82 82 93 Thus D3 = 80.
85 95
Find D3 and D6 in the Solutions
following data set: Arrange the scores in
ascending order:
78 87
90 85 77 85 D6 = xN/10
80 79 78 87 Given: x = 6; N = 20
87 92 78 87
81 95 79 88 D3 = xN/10
77 92 79 90 = 6(20)/10
80 92
92 79 40% 80 92
= 120/10
93 85 = 12th score
78 88 81 92
Thus D6 = 87.
80 82 82 93
85 95
 Quartile
Formula:
xN
Q=
4

where
x = the desired quartile rank
N = number of cases

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Example
• The final exam scores of 18 students are (in increasing
order): 24, 58, 61, 67, 71, 73, 76, 79, 82, 83, 85, 87, 88, 88,
92, 93, 94, 97. Find the lower quartile (Q1), and the upper
quartile (Q3).

Q1 Q3
24, 58, 61, 67, 71, 73, 76, 79, 82, 83, 85, 87, 88, 88, 92, 93, 94, 97

Q1 = xN/4 = 1(18)/4 Q3 = xN/4 = 3(18)/4

= 4.5 or 5th score = 13.5 or 14th score
Thus Q1 = 71 Thus Q3 = 88
Illustration/comparison

Q2

Q1 Q3
D5

p50

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 Summary

 Percentile (divides the distribution into 100

equal parts)

 Decile (divides the distribution into 10 equal

parts)

 Quartile (divides the distribution into 4 equal

parts)

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