National Counselor (NCE) Practice Exam

Individuals with average ability typically fall within the 16th to 84th percentiles on a normal bell curve. This range essentially captures the central portion of the distribution, which represents the average or typical abilities within a population. In a normal distribution, about 68% of individuals fall within one standard deviation of the average (mean), which is represented by the 16th to 84th percentiles. This means that if you consider the average ability as the mean, the majority of people score around that average, while fewer individuals fall below the 16th percentile or above the 84th percentile. This highlights the concept of normal distribution, demonstrating that average ability is prevalent in the population, while those with abilities significantly higher or lower are less common.