An age-normed score compares performance with a relevant age group. It is different from a raw total and different from an online table claiming that everyone of a certain age should have a particular IQ.
Why the reference group matters
Imagine a timed task where two people obtain the same raw score. If an assessment uses different age-based conversion tables, those raw totals may receive different standardized interpretations. The conversion is answering a comparison question within each reference group.
This is also why raw performance and an age-adjusted score can tell different stories. An age-normed result is not a direct measure of how a person would perform against every other age group on the same task.
Different skills can follow different patterns
Hartshorne and Germine's 2015 study found that different cognitive abilities reached their observed peaks at different ages. That finding does not provide an individual forecast. It is a reason to avoid a single simplistic claim that all thinking skills peak or decline together.
When reading an age-related headline, check which ability was studied, how it was measured and whether the study compared different people or followed the same people over time.
How starp uses age
starp asks for age after the initial test for eligibility. Its current correct-answer-to-score mapping is shared across eligible users. It does not apply separate age-normed scoring tables.
Do not describe a starp score as an age-adjusted population rank. If you need an assessment with appropriate developmental or age-based norms, ask a qualified assessor about the intended use and suitable instruments.
Make your own practice comparisons clearer
For repeated personal practice, keep the conditions as similar as possible: comparable time limits, familiar equipment and a note of interruptions. Compare the specific mistakes and skills as well as the total. A difference between two sessions should not immediately be attributed to age when the tasks and conditions also changed.