Definition
In assessment, the standards or rules used to judge whether a student's performance is acceptable. 'Criterion' is the singular form (one standard); 'criteria' is the plural (two or more standards).
Plain English
The yardsticks used to decide if a student did the task well enough. One yardstick is a criterion; several yardsticks are criteria.
Context Anchor
Used in aviation instruction when lesson objectives, maneuvers, procedures, or assessments state how student performance will be judged.
Derivation
From the Greek 'kriterion,' meaning 'a means for judging.' The plural 'criteria' keeps the original Greek ending. Knowing this helps explain why the two forms look so different from typical English singular/plural pairs.
Why Pilots Care
Ensures assessments remain objective and consistent, supporting safe and fair decisions about student readiness.
Intuition Check
Do not read criteria as a vague word for “important things.” In this context, criteria are the specific standards used to judge performance. Also, criterion means one standard; criteria means more than one.
Example Sentence 1
The instructor explained the criteria for a satisfactory steep turn: bank angle, altitude tolerance, and rollout heading.
Example Sentence 2
Meeting every criterion on the stage check ensures the student is ready for the next phase of training.