When test scores are normally distributed, what does this indicate about the scoring?

When test scores are normally distributed, it signifies that the majority of scores cluster around the average, reflecting a bell-shaped curve. This means that most individuals achieve scores that are near the mean, while significantly fewer individuals attain scores that are either very high or very low. The normal distribution illustrates that as you move away from the average, the number of individuals scoring those extreme values decreases, thus confirming that most scores are concentrated around the center of the distribution.

This understanding helps interpret various educational and psychological assessments, as it informs educators and psychologists that typical performance tends to fall within a certain range, while outliers—whether exceptionally high or low—are less common.