The percentage of students retaking college admissions tests is rising. Researchers and college admissions offices currently use a variety of methods for summarizing these multiple scores. Testing organizations such as ACT and the College Board, interested in validity evidence like correlations with first-year grade point average (FYGPA), often…

Most studies predicting college performance from high-school grade point average (HSGPA) and college admissions test scores use single-level regression models that conflate relationships within and between high schools. Because grading standards vary among high schools, these relationships are likely to differ within and between schools. We used…

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…

The prevalence of homeschooling in the United States is increasing. Yet little is known about how commonly used predictors of postsecondary academic performance (SAT, high school grade point average [HSGPA]) perform for homeschooled students. Postsecondary performance at 140 colleges and universities was analyzed comparing a sample of traditional…

Findings are summarized from a comparative analysis of education-examination practices in selected European and Asian countries. The review of testing practices in other countries reveals that these practices are in transition in most countries. A central lesson is that changing teaching can lead to changes in testing. (SLD)

The testing practices and tests described in the preceding articles are reviewed and compared. This cross-cultural examination identifies some issues that are common to the United States and Europe: (1) the emphasis on performance tasks, (2) the accommodation of language minorities, and (3) concerns about gender differences. (SLD)