As of June 1, NZCER is using updated national reference information to report stanines and generate boxplots for PAT Pānui | Reading Comprehension results. This will include updated data from Term 1, 2025, which may result in some changes to Term 1 test scores.
This change follows the refresh of test content and calibration to the existing PAT scale.
Why the change?
The previous stanines and boxplots are based on results collected when the old versions of the tests were developed.
New reference information has been created using student results from the tens of thousands of refreshed tests taken online in Term 1, 2025. The results have been carefully sampled to represent students from across New Zealand.
What does this mean for you?
Stanine scores reported in Term 1 will be updated to reflect the new reference information. This means some results will see a shift of up to one stanine.
Scale scores will stay the same.
Why are stanines changing?
Some changes may be due to shifts in national student performance, while some changes are due to the new test content and recalibration process.
What should schools and teachers do?
If you use PAT Pānui results for teaching decisions, tracking progress, or school planning, it’s good to:
- Expect Term 1 stanine scores to shift slightly.
- Focus on scale scores when tracking progress over time.
NZCER will monitor results throughout the year and review the scale score and reference info again at the end of 2025 - keep an eye out for further updates and sign up for our Assessment News pānui to keep informed.
How are the new and old norms represented in reports?
PAT Pānui norm referencing prior to 2025 is represented using diagonal shading in the box plot graphs and the new Term 1 2025 norms are represented as pale grey shading, as illustrated below. This approach is consistent with PAT Pāngarau reporting.
What is a stanine?
Stanine is short for "standard nine"—a simple way to group student scores into nine broad levels. These levels make it easier to understand how students are doing in comparison to others across the country in their year level who took the test in Term 1.
Imagine you're lining up all the students in New Zealand who took PAT Pānui in Term 1 at the same year level, from the lowest to the highest scores. Then, you divide them into nine bands:
- Stanine 1 is the lowest group of scores.
- Stanine 9 is the highest group of scores.
- Stanine 5 is the middle, or "average", group.
Each stanine shows where students stand compared to others in their year level. For example:
- Stanines 1–3: Below average.
- Stanines 4–6: Average.
- Stanines 7–9: Above average.
Stanines help give a big-picture view of student achievement. They're not exact marks but give you a quick sense of where a student is at.
How are stanines calculated?
Stanines are based on two key numbers for each year level:
- The mean (average score).
- The standard deviation (SD) (how spread-out scores are).
These values help identify how far a student’s score is from the average, then assign it to one of the nine stanine bands.
Why use stanines?
Stanines can help compare students fairly across different year levels and test versions. They also offer a quick summary of achievement, helpful in reports and planning.
If you have questions about these changes or stanines more generally, contact our Education Advisors, Julie Roberts and Melissa Denzler: education.adviser@nzcer.org.nz