A transparent description of the scoring, norming and quality checks behind every number in a report.
Rating-scale items are scored by their option value; reverse-keyed items are inverted (min + max − value) so that a higher score always means more of the trait. Aptitude items score 1 for the keyed answer and 0 otherwise, and unanswered aptitude items count as incorrect. Each dimension is then normalised to a 0–100 scale:
Score % = (raw − minimum possible) ÷ (maximum possible − minimum possible) × 100
Bands: Low below 40, Moderate 40–69, High 70 and above.
Every completed attempt on the platform forms the norm group for that dimension. The percentile is the share of the norm group scoring below the student (ties count half). The sten (standard ten) converts the score to a 1–10 scale with a mean of 5.5 and a standard deviation of 2. Until a dimension has 10 or more results, stens use percentage bands; reports flag when the norm group is still small.
Cronbach's alpha estimates internal consistency for each dimension from complete responses: 0.9+ excellent, 0.8+ good, 0.7+ acceptable, 0.6+ questionable, below 0.6 poor. Short school scales (3–6 items) typically sit between 0.6 and 0.8.
The corrected item–total correlation shows how well each item agrees with the rest of its scale; items below 0.20 are flagged for review. Aptitude items are also flagged when more than 90% (very easy) or fewer than 25% (very hard) of students answer correctly.
Unproctored online testing needs validity checks. Each attempt starts at 100 and is reduced for unanswered items, straight-lining (more than 60% of answers on one option) and rushing (more than 30% of items answered in under 1.5 seconds). 80+ is high quality, 60–79 moderate, below 60 low; low-quality results should be discussed or retaken.
The Holland code is the student's three highest RIASEC interest scores. Each of 16 career clusters has a primary and secondary interest code and relevant aptitudes. The match score weights interests 75% (primary 60%, secondary 40%) and aptitude 25% when aptitude results are available. Pathway fit averages the interest and aptitude scores relevant to each academic stream.
The bundled item sets are short educational instruments written for this platform. They are suitable for guidance and self-reflection, not for clinical diagnosis or high-stakes selection. Before such uses, validate the instruments on your own population or license established ones.
