Factors affecting university entrants’ performance in high-stakes tests: a multiple regression analysis

Abstract

In the Philippines, students seeking admission to a university are usually required to meet certain entrance requirements, including passing the entrance examinations with questions on IQ and English, mathematics, and science. This paper aims to determine the factors that affect the performance of entrants into business programmes in high-stakes test. Three groups of factors were considered: personal, family, and school factors. A total of 1,057 freshmen enrolled in a business college in academic year 2013–2014 answered a researcher-developed instrument to capture data, which were analysed using multiple regression analysis. Academic library use, reading, and involvement in extra-curricular activities among the personal factors; family size, socio-economic status, and parental involvement among the family factors were found to have significant relationship with entrance test results. As to school factors, the type of school affects entrants’ performance in the test.