Age Equivalent Scores

An age equivalent (AE) score is a type of norming that provides an estimate of the chronological age (CA) at which a typically developing child demonstrates the skills displayed by the child being assessed. Scores are intended to convey the meaning of test performance in terms of what is typical of a child at a given age based on the mean raw score on a test obtained by the group of children in the normative sample at a specific age. This entry describes how AE scores are calculated and discusses their limitations.

AE scores are often expressed in years and months (e.g., 5;0 for 5 years, 0 months). In simple terms, if on average children at 36 months of age obtain a score of 10 correct ...