Predictors of Success on the Counselor Preparation Comprehensive Examination

This study examined the relationship between 403 counseling graduate students' scores on the Counselor Preparation Comprehensive Examination (CPCE; Center for Credentialing and Education, n.d.) and 3 admissions requirements used as predictor variables: undergraduate grade point average (UGPA), Graduate Record Examinations (GRE) General Test Verbal Reasoning (GRE‐V) score, and GRE General Test Quantitative Reasoning (GRE‐Q) score. Multiple regression analyses revealed that all predictor variables accounted for somewhat limited, yet significant variations in the CPCE‐Total scores (R² = .21). Results indicated that UGPAs, GRE‐V scores, and GRE‐Q scores are valid criteria for determining counseling graduate student success on the CPCE.     

A Computer-Based Task for Measuring the Representational Component of Quantitative Proficiency

In this study, we created a computer-delivered problem-solving task based on the cognitive research literature and investigated its validity for graduate admissions assessment. The task asked examinees to sort mathematical word problem stems according to prototypes. Data analyses focused on the meaning of sorting scores and examinee perceptions of the task. Results showed that those who sorted well tended to have higher GRE General Test scores and college grades than did examinees who sorted less proficiently. Examinees generally preferred this task to multiple-choice items like those found on the General Test's Quantitative section and felt the task was a fairer measure of their ability to succeed in graduate school. Adaptations of the task might be used in admissions tests, as well as for instructional assessments to help lower- scoring examinees localize and remediate problem-solving difficulties.     

The Graduate Record Examination and undergraduate grade point average: Predicting graduate grade point averages in a Criminal Justice graduate program

This study was conducted to investigate if there are any predictive relationships between scores of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) and graduate grade point average (GGPA), and undergraduate grade point average (UGPA) and GGPA. The data were collected from all graduates from the Master's program in Criminal Justice at a medium-sized Southern university from 1989 to 1999 (N = 94). The results indicated that UGPA and GRE scores explain about 40% of the variance in GGPAs. It is concluded that all three GRE subscales should be considered in the graduate admissions process in criminal justice programs.     

The graduate record examination as a predictor of graduate student performance: The case of criminal justice

Research on the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) as a predictor of graduate student performance has been marked by much debate. Thornell and McCoy (1985) have found that the relationship between student performance and the GRE may be sensitive to the discipline being studied. While unexplained to date, this disciplinary variation may be related to the differences in means and/or relative dispersions of GRE scores among disciplines. Further, there has been only one study (McKee, Mallory, and Campbell, in press) for criminal justice, the field with the lowest mean GRE score. This paper focuses on this neglected field. Data were collected from the files of 70 criminal justice majors in a master's program at a large midwestern urban university. The results indicate that GRE scores are largely unrelated to indicators of graduate student performance (GPA, grades in specific classes, and the completion of the M.A. degree). The one exception is a strong relationship between verbal GRE and graduate GPA. This relationship may indicate a nonlinear ceiling effect wherein verbal GRE scores affect GGPA, mainly in disciplines with means at the low end of the verbal GRE score distribution.     

Validity of GRE General Test scores and TOEFL scores for graduate admission to a technical university in Western Europe*

Graduate admission has become a critical process in tertiary education, whereby selecting valid admissions instruments is key. This study assessed the validity of Graduate Record Examination (GRE) General Test scores for admission to Master’s programmes at a technical university in Europe. We investigated the indicative value of GRE scores for the Master’s programme grade point average (GGPA) with and without the addition of the undergraduate GPA (UGPA) and the TOEFL score, and of GRE scores for study completion and Master’s thesis performance. GRE scores explained 20% of the variation in the GGPA, while additional 7% were explained by the TOEFL score and 3% by the UGPA. Contrary to common belief, the GRE quantitative reasoning score showed only little explanatory power. GRE scores were also weakly related to study progress but not to thesis performance. Nevertheless, GRE and TOEFL scores were found to be sensible admissions instruments. Rigorous methodology was used to obtain highly reliable results.     

A study of the long-term stability of GRE general test scores

Some applicants for admission to graduate programs present Graduate Record Examinations (GRE) General Test scores that are several years old. Due to different experiences over time, older GRE verbal, quantitative, and analytical scores may no longer accurately reflect the current capabilities of the applicants. To provide evidence regarding the long-term stability of GRE scores, test-retest correlations and average change (net gain) in test performance were analyzed for GRE General Test repeaters classified by time between test administrations in intervals ranging from less than 6 months to 10 years or more. Findings regarding average changes in verbal and quantitative test performance for long-term repeaters (with 5 years or more between tests), generally, and by graduate major area, sex, and ethnicity, appeared to be consistent with a differential growth hypothesis: Long-term repeaters generally, and in all of the subgroups, registered greater average (net) score gain on verbal tests than on quantitative tests and, for subgroups, the amount of gain tended to vary directly with initial means. A rationale is presented for a growth interpretation of the observed average gains in test performance. Implications for graduate school and GRE Program policies regarding the treatment of older test scores are considered.     

Who receives financial support to pursue graduate study?

Graduate student funding has been acknowledged as very important in enticing prospective students to begin graduate programs and in helping current students complete their degrees, but very little is known about the individuals who receive financial support. This paper discusses a variety of characteristics of new students who received fellowships, assistantships, and loans at a large public research university in the Midwest. The purpose was to determine which of the following characteristics led to an increased likelihood of receiving the different forms of support: undergraduate grades, GRE scores, gender, ethnicity, citizenship, age, and field of study.     

Assessing practical intelligence in business school admissions: A supplement to the graduate management admissions test

The Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) is the most widely used measure of managerial potential in MBA admissions. GMAT scores, although predictive of grades in business school, leave much of the variance in graduate school performance unexplained. The GMAT also produces disparities in test scores between groups, generating the potential for adverse impact in the admissions process. We sought to compensate for these limitations by adding measures of practical intelligence to the admissions process in an MBA program. We developed two approaches to measuring practical intelligence, one knowledge-based and the other skill-based. We administered the resulting measures to two samples of incoming MBA students (total N = 792). Across the two studies, we found that scores on both measures predicted success inside and outside the classroom and provided small, yet significant, increments beyond GMAT scores and undergraduate GPA in the prediction of variance in MBA performance. We further found that these measures exhibited less disparity across gender and racial/ethnic groups than did the GMAT. These findings, although preliminary, suggest the potential value of considering a broader range of abilities in admissions testing.     

Testing the Predictive Validity of the GRE Exam on Communication Graduate Student Success: A Case Study at University at Buffalo

GRE scores for entering M.A. and Ph.D. students in Communication at University at Buffalo from 1990 to 2001 were used to predict graduate student success. Graduate student success was measured in two ways: grade point average (GGPA) and graduation rates. Preliminary analyses on Master's students (M.A.) revealed that international students, compared to domestic students, earned lower GRE verbal (GRE-V) scores, higher GRE quantitative (GRE-Q) scores, had higher undergraduate grade point averages and were more likely to graduate from the program (82% vs. 49%). Only GRE scores were different for International vs. Domestic students when examining doctoral students. For M.A. students, GRE-V was positively correlated with GGPA and GRE-Q was positively related to earning the M.A. degree. Regression analyses controlling for several factors, including domestic student status, found only undergraduate GPA to predict GGPA and graduation for M.A. students. GGPA and GRE-V predicted graduation rates for M.A. students when GGPA was included in logistic regression analysis. GRE, GPA, and GGPA failed to predict Ph.D. success when examined together.     

Graphical Modeling: A New Response Type for Measuring the Qualitative Component of Mathematical Reasoning

We investigated the functioning of a new computer-delivered response type for potential use in graduate admissions assessment. This response type, which is open-ended and automatically scorable, presents problems calling for the examinee to draw a graph modeling a given situation. Problem situations can be like the single-best-answer items currently found on the Graduate Record Examinations (GRE) General Test (ETS, 1998) or they can be more loosely defined, allowing for multiple-correct responses. Two graphical modeling (GM) tests differing from one another in the manipulation of specific item features were randomly spiraled among study participants. Results showed that GM scores were very reliable and moderately related to the General Test's quantitative section, suggesting that GM might help broaden the GRE quantitative construct. In exploratory difficulty analyses, 1 of 3 manipulated item features, problem structure, had a dependable effect. No significant gender differences independent of those associated with the GRE quantitative section were detected. Finally, more participants preferred regular multiple-choice graphical reasoning questions to GM items but thought GM was the fairer indicator of their ability to undertake graduate study.     

Can a Two‐Question Test Be Reliable and Valid for Predicting Academic Outcomes?

Scores on essay‐based assessments that are part of standardized admissions tests are typically given relatively little weight in admissions decisions compared to the weight given to scores from multiple‐choice assessments. Evidence is presented to suggest that more weight should be given to these assessments. The reliability of the writing scores from two of the large volume admissions tests, the GRE General Test (GRE) and the Test of English as a Foreign Language Internet‐based test (TOEFL iBT), based on retesting with a parallel form, is comparable to the reliability of the multiple‐choice Verbal or Reading scores from those tests. Furthermore, and even more important, the writing scores from both tests are as effective as the multiple‐choice scores in predicting academic success and could contribute to fairer admissions decisions.     

POSTDICTION STUDY OF THE GRADUATE RECORD EXAMINATION AND EIGHT SEMESTERS OF COLLEGE GRADES1

Data from a postdictive study of the tests of the Graduate Record Examination and the eight semesters of undergraduate grade averages, each semester's average being computed independently of the rest, are presented. Postdictive validities of the aptitude portions of the GRE are essentially similar to predictive validities obtained earlier by the senior author. Both predictive and postdictive validity gradients over the eight semesters are relatively steep, with freshman grades having the highest correlations with the tests. The validity gradient for all advanced tests combined does not follow the pattern for the aptitude tests, but neither does it show the opposite gradient. Advanced test results are most highly correlated with sophomore grades, but the validity gradient over the eight semesters is relatively flat. A small scale extension of this research into post baccalaureate training indicated that senior grades were most predictive of graduate criteria, but a larger scale study is clearly called for. Possible implications for ability theory and for selection of graduate students are discussed.     

Evaluating online conversation in an asynchronous learning environment: An application of Grice's cooperative principle

This study goes beyond student perceptions of online learning experiences, satisfaction, and attitudes, to examine the actual participation and dynamics that occur in online discussions and their relationship to student learning outcomes. A content analysis approach was used to investigate students' socio-cognitive processes in an online graduate-level English grammar class. Student postings were rated using a newly developed Gricean Cooperative Principle scoring rubric to assess student participation as determined by four maxims: Quantity, Quality, Relevance, and Manner. Results suggest that Quality is the most important criterion for predicting direct responses to a posting. Students with high average Quality scores also received higher final course grades than did their counterparts. In addition, students with high scores for Manner earned higher conference grades than did their counterparts.     

Re-Examination of Traditional Admissions Criteria in Predicting Academic Success in a Counselor Education Program

The purpose of this study was to re-evaluate the validity of traditional admissions criteria—UGPA and GRE scores—in predicting academic success for students admitted to a counselor education program in the United States. In contrast to prior research, we also included the newer GRE-Analytical Writing scores in our analyses. In general, we found that both UGPA and GRE scores were useful for predicting both graduate grade point averages (GGPAs) and students’ scores on the Counselor Preparation Comprehensive Exam (CPCE). We also found that a discriminant model that included all four admission variables was useful for predicting program completion outcomes: successfully graduated, dropped out, or dismissed from the program. Implications for the admissions and screening process are presented.     

Field dependence-independence as a factor in the academic and career evolution of women majors in the broad-gauge discipline of home economics

The relationships between the field-dependence-independence level (GEFT score) of university home economics majors and their area of concentration, academic ability and performance, and career choices were investigated. The sample was 143 undergraduate and 53 graduate women university students. A significant difference in GEFT was found when students were grouped according to the five areas of concentration or by the analytical-interpersonal nature of their chosen career positions. Significant correlations were found between GEFT and all ACT scores, undergraduate and graduate GPA, and graduate student career commitment. There was no significant relationship for GEFT with any GRE score, undergraduate career commitment, or ease of career choice. Little evidence of a differential effect of GEFT on achievement in analytical or social content courses was found.     

Generalizability, Validity, and Examinee Perceptions of a Computer-Delivered Formulating-Hypotheses Test

The Formulating-Hypotheses (F-H) item presents a situation and asks examinees to generate as many explanations for it as possible. This study examined the generalizability, validity, and examinee perceptions of a computer-delivered version of the task. Eight F-H questions were administered to 192 graduate students. Half of the items restricted examinees to 7 words per explanation, and half allowed up to 15 words. Generalizability results showed high interrater agreement, with tests of between 2 and 4 items scored by one judge achieving coefficients in the .80s. Construct validity analyses found that F-H was only marginally related to the GRE General Test, and more strongly related than the General Test to a measure of ideational fluency. Different response limits tapped somewhat different abilities, with the 15-word constraint appearing more useful for graduate assessment. These items added significantly to conventional measures in explaining school performance and creative expression.     

Can you earn a Ph.D. in economics in five years?

We investigate graduate school outcomes for students who entered economics Ph.D. programs in fall 2002. Students in Top-15 ranked programs and those with higher verbal and quantitative GRE scores are less likely to have dropped out, but no more likely to have graduated. Those with undergraduate degrees from Top-60 U.S. liberal arts colleges and from foreign universities have lower attrition and higher completion probabilities. There are important differences in the characteristics associated with retention and completion probabilities between U.S. citizens and non-citizens and between men and women.     

Multiple perceptions of children's aggression: Differences across neighborhood,age, gender,and perceiver

We investigated how overtly aggressive behavior was differentially perceived by two types of perceivers, teachers and peers, as a function of student neighborhood, gender, and grade level. Participants (N= 765) were predominantly African American students in grades 3‐5 recruited from two urban public schools in southern California. The neighborhoods surrounding the two schools differed in levels of identified violent crime and economic levels. Teachers in the community experiencing more violence perceived student behavior to be relatively less aggressive and more similar across genders than did teachers in the less violent community. Peers in the community experiencing more violent crime perceived both boys and girls to be somewhat aggressive, whereas in the less violent community, boys were perceived as aggressive more so than were girls. In general, agreement between teacher and peer perceptions was stronger for boys than for girls. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Relative Effects of English Proficiency on General Admissions Tests Versus Subject Tests

The increasing linguistic diversity of the United States student population has brought to the forefront problems in the interpretation of test scores for non-native speakers of English in graduate admissions. The degree to which test scores reflect English proficiency was studied using data on N = 451 students whose native language was Spanish. They had taken the GRE, English proficiency tests, and the PAEG, a test in Spanish used for admission to graduate schools in Puerto Rico. Regression analyses revealed that the proportion of variance explained by the English proficiency terms (independent of developed skills measured in Spanish) was highest for the GRE verbal test (34%), lowest for the quantitative test (8%) and intermediate for the analytical test (16%), the Psychology (18%) and Biology (17%) Subject tests. These findings are discussed in light of efforts to increase access to higher education for Hispanic students.