Raw scores are simply the total sum of a respondent's selections before any statistical conversions are made. While serving as rudimentary level of statistical measurement, raw scores are functionally limited. In application, raw scores are used to arrive at a set of standardized scores (i.e., T scores, z scores) that can be used to compare individuals to a reference group. Researchers use raw scores to perform statistical analyses or to norm measures. Applied practitioners use raw scores to communicate performance or measurement results.

Although not universally true, raw scores typically are the sum of correct responses out of the total possible correct responses. For example, on a scale containing 10 questions, a respondent may correctly answer 8. Therefore the respondent would achieve a raw score of ...