Standardisation Trials

A standardisation trial is conducted with a nationally representative sample of pupils of an appropriate age and at the point in the school year when the assessments are likely to be used. The main purpose is to obtain data on the functioning of the test and to produce the standardised and age-standardised scores. The trial data is also used to inform the development of the mark schemes, ensuring that all answers are addressed in the mark schemes and that marks can be awarded fairly and accurately. 

Because we are developing double the number of test questions required for the final assessment, we also use the standardisation trial data to select the best questions to make up the final test. This takes into account a variety of considerations such as overall test difficulty and the balance across curriculum areas.