How to Calculate Stanine Scores

Stanine scores are a method teachers use to evaluate students' scores on standardized tests. "Stanine" is a shortened way of saying "standard nine," because it is a system that divides the standard curve of test results into nine groups. Most test scores fall into groups four through six, while scores in groups one through three are below average and those in groups seven through nine are above average. Each stanine group is placed in relation to the mean score and has a span of 0.5 standard deviations. Since z-scores tell you how many standard deviations a given test score differs from the mean, calculating z-scores is an easy way to determine which of the nine stanine groups each student's test score falls within.

Things You'll Need

  • Calculator with square root feature or computer spreadsheet software
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Instructions

    • 1

      Add all of the test scores together. For example, 82 + 99 + 67 + 78 + 90 + 85 + 76 + 88 + 69 + 75 = 809.

    • 2

      Divide your result by the number of scores. For example, 809 ÷ 10 = 80.9. This is the mean score.

    • 3

      Subtract the mean score from each individual score. For example, 82 - 80.9 = 1.1; 99 - 80.9 = 18.1; 67 - 80.9 = -13.9; 78 - 80.9 = -2.9; 90 - 80.9 = 9.1; 85 - 80.9 = 4.1; 76 - 80.9 = -4.9; 88 - 80.9 = 7.1; 69 - 80.9 = -11.9; 75 - 80.9 = -5.9.

    • 4

      Square each of your result. For example, 1.1 * 1.1 = 1.21; 18.1 * 18.1 = 327.61; -13.9 * -13.9 = 193.21; -2.9 * -2.9 = 8.41; 9.1 * 9.1 = 82.81; 4.1 * 4.1 = 16.81; -4.9 * -4.9 = 24.01; 7.1 * 7.1 = 50.41; -11.9 * -11.9 = 141.61; -5.9 * -5.9 = 34.81.

    • 5

      Add your results. For example, 1.21 + 327.61 + 193.21 + 8.41 + 82.81 + 16.81 + 24.01 + 50.41 + 141.61 + 34.81 = 880.9.

    • 6

      Divide your result by the number of scores. For example, 880.9 ÷ 10 = 88.09.

    • 7

      Find the square root of your result. For example, √88.09 = 9.39. This is the standard deviation of your scores.

    • 8

      Divide each of your results from step 3 by the standard deviation. For example, 1.1 ÷ 9.39 = 0.12; 18.1 ÷ 9.39 = 1.93; -13.9 ÷ 9.39 = -1.48; -2.9 ÷ 9.39 = -0.31; 9.1 ÷ 9.39 = 0.97; 4.1 ÷ 9.39 = 0.44; -4.9 ÷ 9.39 = -0.52; 7.1 ÷ 9.39 = 0.76; -11.9 ÷ 9.39 = -1.27; -5.9 ÷ 9.39 = -0.63. These are the z-scores for each of the test scores.

    • 9

      Use each z-score to determine each test result's placement within the nine stanine categories. Z-scores of -1.75 or lower fall in group one; from -1.75 to -1.25 are group two; from -1.25 to -0.75 are group three; from -0.75 to -0.25 are group four; from -0.25 to 0.25 are group five; from 0.25 to 0.75 are group six; from 0.75 to 1.25 are group seven; from 1.25 to 1.75 are group eight and z-scores above 1.75 are in group nine.

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