Stanine stands for STANDARD NINE. In the Stanine system, a line is set up and broken into nine standardized parts, and then contrasted to the Normal Distribution or Bell Curve. Thus, the general population is divided into 9 equal parts. Generally, scores in the 1 – 3 area are in the lower fourth of the general population. Scores in the 7 – 9 area are in the upper fourth of the general population, whereas the individuals who score in the 4-6 range represent the majority of the population. It is important to note that scores in a particular range are not necessarily good or bad. A score must be considered relative to the requirements of the job.

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