UNDERSTANDING RESULTS
Scores & Percentiles
Each year, the group of students taking the National Spanish Exam (NSE) changes, causing the average scores and percentile rankings to vary annually. The AATSP Exams office publishes the finalized NSE averages within six weeks after the exam window closes.
Medals are awarded to students based on their percentile rankings for that year, with gold, silver, and bronze medals sent directly to schools. Instructors who administered the NSE can access a complete list of their students’ scores and rankings, along with individual report cards, in their Lingco Language Labs accounts.
Yearly Averages show overall student performance on the most recent NSE, while Yearly Percentile charts help convert raw scores into percentile rankings.
Need help? Visit our Frequently Asked Questions section for more information.
Quick Links
Use the links below to find national statistics, learn more about NSE report cards, and more.
EXAMINATION RESULTS
How It Works
At the national level, the NSE is scored using both raw scores and percentiles. When results become available, teachers are able to download their students’ results and their report cards. Results include a list of students and their respective raw scores, percentile rankings, and the medals they are eligible for.
Raw Scores (white column) – The number of points that a student received for questions answered correctly.
Yearly Percentiles (grey column) – This score indicates the performance of a student in relationship to the performance of other students who sat for the exam, specifically those in the same
level and category.
What’s The Difference?
Percentage and percentile are two different concepts. While the percentage shows the individual score out of 100, the percentile shows a comparison. Percentage tells us the value in terms of 100, and percentile is a relative quantity that shows us a comparison of the given value with the rest of the data which is lesser than the given specific value.
For example, if a student scores 43 points out of a weight of 60, then their percentage is expressed as 72%. On the other hand, if the student’s percentile in an examination is given as 75, this means that they scored better than 75% of the students who sat for the exam in the same year, level, and category.
What It Means
When a student sits for the National Spanish Exam (NSE) and/or National Portuguese Exam (NPE) they are testing their skills in the language and also competing against other students within their level and category.
Percentiles show where the student ranks nationally compared to all of the students who also sat for the NSE/NPE in that same year, level, and category. For example, if a Level 3 student in the Classroom Experience category receives a percentile of 84, this indicates that the student answered more test items correctly than 84% of Level 3 students in the Classroom Experience category nationwide.
Need Help? Visit our Frequently Asked Questions section for more information.