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What does the 20th percentile represent in a distribution of scores?

  1. The average score of all test-takers

  2. The median score in the distribution

  3. The score at or below which 20% of scores fall

  4. The highest score achieved in the distribution

The correct answer is: The score at or below which 20% of scores fall

The 20th percentile in a distribution of scores indicates the point at which 20% of the scores fall below it. This means that if you were to rank all the scores from lowest to highest, 20% of the test-takers would have scored at or below this specific score. This is a key concept in understanding percentiles, as they provide a way to interpret the relative position of individual scores within a larger group. For example, if the 20th percentile score in a test is 60, this means that 20% of the test-takers scored 60 or lower, highlighting the lower end of the score distribution. This understanding is valuable in educational and psychological assessments as it allows counselors to analyze performance and identify areas of need for improvement or development.