In many cases the completed machine-scannable answer sheets can be mailed or faxed to the test publisher. The publisher scores the answer sheets and returns the scores and test reports to the employer. Test publishers generally charge a fee for each test scored and for each report generated. For mail-in service, there is a delay of several days between mailing answer sheets and receipt of the test results from the service. Overnight mail by private or public carrier will shorten the wait but will add to the cost.
Some publishers offer a scoring service by fax machine.
This will considerably shorten the turn-around time, but greater care must be taken to protect the confidentiality of the results. To help answer these questions, consider what the test is designed to accomplish. These two methods are described below. Norm-referenced test interpretation . In norm-referenced test interpretation, the scores that the applicant receives are compared with the test performance of a particular reference group.