Abstract
The predictive validity of standardized eligibility test for college admissions is a matter of debate and controversy. Standardized admission test came into vogue in the later part of the previous century. It gained traction due to various reasons. The main reason for this is the heterogeneity of high school GPA and the inherent drawbacks of teacher made tests. Often teacher-made tests fail to follow the basic rules of test construction, and are hence considered to be of poor quality. Standardized admission tests came to be widely accepted due to its presumed scientific predictive validity. Though number of studies has examined the predictive validity of standardized admission tests with respect to various health courses, there is a gap in literature with respect to business students. This study examined the relationship between the admission grades (high school GPA and GAT) of Saudi college students and their academic achievement. The result of the study points towards a strong relationship between the two variables.
Highlights
Most graduate programmes stipulate that students meet certain basic academic requirements, to be considered for admission. It is an accepted notion the world over that, due to the marked variance in the quality and system of grading in the high schools, it would be grossly unfair if admission decisions are based solely on high school http://doi.org/10.9770/jesi.2018.5.3(17)
While aptitude tests focus on assessing the verbal and mathematical abilities and are usually “general” in nature (Koljatic, Silva, and Cofré, 2012); achievement tests are meant to measure accomplishments of the candidates, and are mostly based on certain guidelines and concepts that the students are likely to learn in future (Atkinson, 2001)
The GPA of the high school examinations were the sole basis on which college admission decisions were taken
Summary
Most graduate programmes stipulate that students meet certain basic academic requirements, to be considered for admission It is an accepted notion the world over that, due to the marked variance in the quality and system of grading in the high schools, it would be grossly unfair if admission decisions are based solely on high school. The notion that students with high scores in standardized aptitude and achievement tests are most likely to succeed academically; due to its predictive validity, universities and colleges accord considerable importance to it (Evans, 2012; O’Connor & Paunonen, 2007). As such better grades in standardized eligibility tests are considered a basic requirement for admission to university programs. It is the basis of identifying applicants for the academic scholarships offered by the Government, regardless of their place of residence, social standing or ethnicity
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