What does the 98th percentile mean?

There are numerous places where you may have seen the 98th percentile (ninety-eighth percentile) used. You know that your measurement or score is in the 98th percentile of a group, but do you know what it actually means? The 98th percentile can mean different things and we will start by giving you a couple of examples:

Test Score: This may be the most common place where percentile is used in daily life. If your test score is in the 98th percentile, it means that you scored better than 98 percent of all the test takers. It also means that 2 percent scored the same or better than you.

Growth Chart: A growth chart is often used by pediatricians to show how a child's height, weight, and head circumference compare to other children over time. If your child's height is in the 98th percentile, it means that 98 percent of the children are shorter than your child, and 2 percent of children are the same or taller than your child.

Based on the examples above, this is how we would define the 98th percentile: The 98th percentile means that 98 percent or more is below you and 2 percent is above you. The percentile is a way of illustrating how common your result is compared to others.

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