Standard Score Calculator Formula

Understand the math behind the standard score calculator. Each variable explained with a worked example.

Formulas Used

T-Score (Standard Score)

t_score = 50 + 10 * z

Z-Score

z_score = z

Deviation from Mean

deviation = score - mean

Variables

VariableDescriptionDefault
scoreYour Score82
meanGroup Mean75
std_devStandard Deviation8
zDerived value= (score - mean) / std_devcalculated

How It Works

How to Calculate a Standard Score (T-Score)

A T-score rescales your z-score to a distribution with mean 50 and standard deviation 10.

Formula

T-Score = 50 + 10 x Z

Where Z = (Score - Mean) / Standard Deviation

T-scores eliminate negative numbers and decimals, making interpretation easier.

Worked Example

A student scores 82 in a group with mean 75 and standard deviation 8.

score = 82mean = 75std_dev = 8
  1. 01Z-score = (82 - 75) / 8 = 0.875
  2. 02T-score = 50 + 10 x 0.875 = 58.75
  3. 03The student is above average with a T-score of 58.75.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a T-score?

A T-score is a standard score with mean 50 and standard deviation 10. A T-score of 60 means you are one standard deviation above the mean.

When are T-scores used?

T-scores are commonly used in psychological testing, educational assessments, and clinical evaluations to compare individuals to a reference group.

What is the range of T-scores?

Most T-scores fall between 20 and 80 (within 3 standard deviations). A T-score of 50 is exactly average.

Ready to run the numbers?

Open Standard Score Calculator