APA Dictionary of Psychology

an assessment that covers a specific area of study such that a score will reveal how much of this area has been mastered. This is similar to a criterion-referenced test, in which a content area is mapped and scores reflect whether a particular standard or criterion has been achieved. Thus, if an individual got 90% of the items correct in a domain-referenced or criterion-referenced test, this would be a high score indicative of their deep knowledge and understanding of the content covered in the test. These kinds of tests are contrasted with norm-referenced tests, in which scores indicate how well a test taker performed on the items relative to others who took the test.