Setting and Validating Cut Scores for Tests

Test scores are often used in decision making in higher education contexts. For example, examinees may be placed into a remedial course if their test scores are below a certain point, and into an entrylevel course if their test scores are above a certain point. That certain point on the test score scale is termed the cut score, and the process used to define the location of the cut score is termed standard setting (Hambleton & Pitoniak, 2006; Kane, 1994; Cizek & Bunch, 2007).