What is an age-equivalent score?

• A. The chronological age for which a raw score is the average score.
• B. The difference between two ages.
• C. The scaled score used for adults.
• D. The percentile rank.

Answer: (A)

Age-equivalent scores indicate the age that would typically have produced the same raw score in the normative sample. In other words, it maps the observed performance to the age at which that raw score is average. If your raw score matches what is average for a 9-year-old, your age-equivalent score is 9.

This is about locating where a person fits in the age-based norms, not about exact ability level or a percentile. It’s different from a percentile rank, which shows relative standing, or a scaled/standard score, which adjusts for age and has a consistent mean and spread. It’s also not a difference in ages—that would be an age gap rather than a performance score.

Keep in mind that age-equivalents can be misleading if taken as a precise measure of ability; they’re best used to understand where a person’s performance falls within the distribution at a specific age and are most meaningful when interpreted within the same test and its normative sample.