Descriptive range

Assessment reports often give a word alongside, or instead of, a number: 'average', 'low average', 'below average', 'extremely low'. These words are labels for bands of scores, and they are usually what a parent remembers longest, especially the bleak ones.

Two things take some of the sting out of them. First, different tests attach the words to different score ranges: the British Psychological Society notes that tests band and label scores inconsistently, so 'low average' in one report may not cover the same scores as 'low average' in another. Second, the word describes where one score fell on one test on one day. It is not a verdict on your child, and it does not predict their future.

If a word in a report is sitting heavily with you, ask for the numbers behind it: the standard score Standardised score A test result turned into a number you can compare with other children of the same age. On most tests 100 is the middle, and 85 to 115 is the typical range. Read the full definition of Standardised score and the centile Centile A number that shows where your child sits among 100 children of the same age. The 9th centile does not mean 9 out of 100 in a test, it means about 9 in 100 children score lower. Read the full definition of Centile . Numbers are easier to compare across reports than words, and they are what any panel or service will actually use.