What characterizes a Criterion-referenced test?

• A. It measures a candidate's performance against a set of criteria rather than against other candidates
• B. It ranks students relative to each other
• C. It predicts future performance
• D. It tests only reading comprehension

Answer: (A)

Criterion-referenced testing focuses on mastery of clearly defined standards. Instead of judging a test-taker by how they compare with peers, it asks whether the person has demonstrated the specific skills and knowledge outlined in the objectives. Scores are interpreted against preset levels or cut scores, so success means meeting or exceeding the standard, not ranking relative to others. This makes the approach especially useful for identifying what a student has learned, what remains to be taught, and when a criterion has been met for purposes like remediation or certification. The idea of comparing to others describes norm-referenced testing; predicting future performance relates to aptitude or predictive measures, not current mastery; and limiting the test to reading comprehension wrongly implies the format is restricted to one domain, while criterion-referenced tests can cover any domain with clear standards.