Please describe how the notion of z-scores could be used to curve grades. Solution Z-scores and Z-tests are powerful statistical tools that you can use to test sample statistics against a known population. As long as the population mean and standard deviation are known and the sample can be approximated by a normal distribution, you can test whether the difference between a sample mean and the population mean is statistically significant. This is useful for determining the efficacy of certain things, such as new drugs or test prep programs, against a general population..