On one 100-point test, Lisa managed to get 74 points. On a separate 100-point test, Paul managed to get 74 points. But when these scores were converted to z scores, Lisa received -1.25 and Paul received -1.30. Which of these students received a higher score when compared to other students?

Although both were below the mean, Lisa's score was closer to the mean, therefore higher.

To determine which student received a higher score relative to other students, we need to understand that z-scores represent a student's performance relative to the mean and standard deviation of the whole group.

A z-score signifies how many standard deviations a data point is away from the mean. In this case, since both Lisa and Paul received negative z-scores, it means that their scores are below the mean.

Comparing their z-scores, we can conclude that Paul received a higher score relative to other students. This is because a z-score of -1.30 is closer to zero (the mean) than a z-score of -1.25. The closer a z-score is to zero, the better the performance compared to other students.