In a distribution of test scores, what does it mean if a student’s score is at the 88th percentile?

• A. The student’s score is the same as the mean of the distribution.
• B. The student scored higher than about 88% of the scores in the distribution.
• C. The student scored exactly 88 points on the test.
• D. About 88% of the scores are higher than the student’s score.

Answer: (B)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand what a percentile represents in a distribution: the p-th percentile is the value below which p percent of the data fall.
2. Interpret the 88th percentile as the score below which 88% of the test scores lie.
3. Recognize that if a student’s score is at the 88th percentile, it means the student scored higher than approximately 88% of all other students.
4. Note that this does not mean the student’s score is equal to the mean or that the student scored exactly 88 points; percentiles relate to relative position, not specific values.
5. Also, understand that about 12% of the scores are higher than the student’s score, since 100% - 88% = 12%.