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GATE 2026 XH5 (Psychology) – Question 49

Psychometrics · Foundations of Psychological Measurement: Scales and items, item construction and analysis, intelligence, performance, ability and aptitude tests, personality questionnaires · 2 marks · Multiple choice

In Wechsler intelligence scales, people may express IQ in standard deviation units where, X = individual’s score, M = mean, and SD = standard deviation. Given this, standard score (SC) can be computed using the formula___.

  1. $SC = \frac{X - M}{SD}$
  2. $SC = \frac{M - X}{SD}$
  3. $SC = \frac{X \times M}{SD}$
  4. $SC = (X - M) \times SD$

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Correct answer: (A) $SC = \frac{X - M}{SD}$

Explanation

A standard (z) score tells how many standard deviations a score lies from the mean: $SC = \frac{X - M}{SD}$. A score above the mean gives a positive value, which the other forms do not.