The criterion-referenced interpretation of a test score identifies the relationship to the subject matter.
In the case of a mastery test, this does mean identifying whether the examinee has "mastered" a specified level of the subject matter by comparing their score to the cutscore.
However, not all criterion-referenced tests have a cutscore, and the score can simply refer to a person's standing on the subject domain.
[2] The ACT is an example of this; there is no cutscore, it simply is an assessment of the student's knowledge of high-school level subject matter.
For example, if the criterion is "Students should be able to correctly add two single-digit numbers," then reasonable test questions might look like "
A criterion-referenced test will use questions which were correctly answered by students who know the specific material.
The ACT provides both a ranking, and indication of what level is considered necessary to likely success in college.
[7] In the previous example, the same score on the ACT can be interpreted in a norm-referenced or criterion-referenced manner.