On a PSAT score report, what does the percentile associated with a student's score represent?

• A. The percentage of questions the student answered correctly
• B. The percent increase in the student's score compared with the national average score
• C. The student's score divided by the maximum possible score, expressed as a percentage
• D. The percentage of test-takers who scored at or below the student's score

Answer: (D)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand that a percentile rank in a test score context indicates the relative standing of a student's score compared to other test-takers.
2. Recognize that the percentile is not about the percentage of questions answered correctly, but rather about the position of the student's score within the distribution of all scores.
3. Know that the percentile represents the percentage of test-takers who scored at or below the student's score, which means it shows how the student performed relative to peers.
4. Distinguish this from other concepts such as the student's raw score as a percentage of the maximum score or the percent increase compared to the average score, which are different measures.
5. Therefore, the percentile tells us the percentage of test-takers whose scores are less than or equal to the student's score, providing a comparative measure of performance.