Norm-referenced versus criterion-referenced assessments differ in that:

• A. Norm-referenced scores are judged against defined criteria, while criterion-referenced are compared to a normative sample.
• B. Norm-referenced scores are compared to a normative sample.
• C. Norm-referenced rely on qualitative judgments, criterion-referenced rely on numerical scores.
• D. Norm-referenced are more reliable, criterion-referenced more valid.

Answer: (B)

The key idea is what the score is interpreted against. Norm-referenced assessments interpret a person’s performance relative to a larger group, using a normative sample to place you in relation to peers (for example, percentile ranks or standard scores). Criterion-referenced assessments, on the other hand, evaluate whether a person has mastered a defined set of criteria or skills, regardless of how others perform, often yielding outcomes like pass/fail or mastery levels.

That distinction—the comparison to a normative sample for norm-referenced scores—is what makes this option correct. The other statements mix up how the comparisons work or misstate the nature of scoring: reversing the comparison in the first choice, claiming one type relies on qualitative judgments and the other on numerical scores, or asserting inherent differences in reliability versus validity.