1. **State the problem:** We want to find the percentile rank of a score $X=84$ on a nationwide aptitude test where scores are normally distributed with mean $\mu=80$ and standard deviation $\sigma=15$.
2. **Formula and explanation:** The percentile rank corresponds to the cumulative probability $P(X \leq 84)$ under the normal distribution. We use the standard normal variable $Z$ defined by:
$$Z = \frac{X - \mu}{\sigma}$$
This converts the score to a standard normal distribution with mean 0 and standard deviation 1.
3. **Calculate the Z-score:**
$$Z = \frac{84 - 80}{15} = \frac{4}{15} \approx 0.267$$
4. **Find the cumulative probability:** Using standard normal distribution tables or a calculator, find $P(Z \leq 0.267)$. This value is approximately 0.6057.
5. **Interpretation:** The percentile rank of a score of 84 is about 60.57%, meaning approximately 60.57% of test takers scored below 84.
**Final answer:** The percentile rank of a score of 84 is approximately **60.57%**.
Percentile Rank 6Cbde5
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