What is the purpose of ipsative scores?

Ipsative scores are designed to provide an assessment of an individual's internal comparisons, focusing on relative strengths and weaknesses. This approach enables the evaluation of an individual's performance on various attributes or skills in relation to themselves rather than in comparison to a normative group. By analyzing an individual's responses or scores, ipsative assessments can highlight areas of relative proficiency or needed improvement, offering insights that are specifically tailored to the individual's unique profile. This can be particularly useful in educational settings where understanding a student's specific strengths and areas for growth is crucial for personalized learning strategies and interventions.