Answer:
Students are generally given tests to assess their level of comprehension or abilities, where the students' skill sets are measured on a range of 0 to 100 percent. A mastery test, by contrast, looks at the test taker's performance as all or nothing: either the individual has mastered or has not mastered the tested area at a specified level of performance. For example, a literacy mastery test measures whether or not an individual is literate, based on an established set of criteria. If a student meets those criteria, he or she is considered literate.