Stanines

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A standardized scoring system used to categorize performance on tests into bands, ranging from the lowest to highest ranks
2. A method of distribution that divides test scores into nine equal intervals, providing a clear comparative analysis
3. A type of scaled score that helps evaluate and interpret a student's performance relative to a defined norm group

Etymology: "Stanines" is the plural of "stanine," a score on a nine-point scale, and the term is a blend of "standard" and "nine." The scale was built for the U.S. Army Air Forces during the Second World War, where psychologists needed a simple way to compare recruits' test results. Each score runs from 1 to 9, with 5 at the middle, so the number itself tells you roughly where a candidate sat among the whole group. The word was squeezed together from its two parts, with "standard" supplying the opening and "nine" the ending, so the name records both the idea of a standard score and the nine bands that make it up. Because the scores are already standardized, a reader can grasp a result at a glance without knowing the raw test figures behind it.