Aptitude tests are widely used in selection. However, despite certain advantages their use remains controversial. This paper aims to critically appraise five sources of evidence for the construct validity of the Health Professions Admission Test (HPAT)-Ireland, an aptitude test used for selecting undergraduate medical students. The objectives are…

This paper explored the authors' concerns about students enrolled in their introductory accounting course. Anecdotal evidence suggested that students struggle with basic arithmetic concepts that underlie basic business transactions even though their math placement and ACT scores are high. A survey of 125 students in a first accounting course was…

Objectives: To evaluate an objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) adapted for social work in a lab course and examine the degree to which it predicts competence in the practicum. Method: 125 Masters students participated in a one-scenario OSCE and wrote responses to standardized reflection questions. OSCE performance and reflections were…

The Air Force has long recognized the importance of selecting the most qualified officers possible. For more than 60 years, it has relied on the Air Force Officer Qualifying Test (AFOQT) as one measure of those qualifications. A variety of concerns have been raised about whether the AFOQT is biased, too expensive, or even valid for predicting…

The current study examines the technical adequacy of four Early Numeracy Curriculum-Based Measurement (EN-CBM) screening tasks: "Oral Counting" (OC), "Number Identification" (NI), "Quantity Discrimination" (QD), and "Missing Number" (MN). Results from 59 kindergarten students assessed in the fall and spring reveal moderate to high test-retest and…

Several issues about component validity are examined by using covariance modeling to test hypotheses about the relationships between components, aptitude, and achievement. Support was found for cognitive components to model individual differences in verbal aptitude, decompose test validity, and differentially predict achievement. (Author/GK)

The authors discuss the major points of Jackson's reply to their criticisms of the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT), and reassert their claim that, if the SAT is judged on the basis of its predictive validity, it should be dropped as a college admission requirement. (SK)

Responding to allegations about the effect of coaching on the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) and its predictive validity ("Harvard Educational Review," May 1980), Jackson evaluates Slack and Porter's arguments and addresses the issues of the utility of SAT scores as admissions criteria and the alleged misrepresentation of negative…

This study was part of a longitudinal research project to establish the validity of the Ball Aptitude Battery (BAB) relative to various academic criteria. The BAB is a multiple ability test battery of specific work skills for use in career counseling. Previous research has demonstrated that adequate validity coefficients exist for both job…

Evidence on how the psychometric properties of verbal and quantitative academic aptitude tests are affected when item options are weighted using rather simple conceptual procedures is presented. This is discussed in connection with the scoring methods used on the Graduate Record Examinations. (DG)

This article presents predictive validity data for on-job performance for a set of computerized Graphic and Interactive Processing (GRIP) tests in conjunction with data for both experimental paper-and-pencil and operational tests. Validity coefficients for job element and global criteria are reported for four different jobs. (See also EJ 161 400).…

A study used an existing data set to assess the predictive validity of the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB) for civilian occupations. (The ASVAB is a multiple-aptitude test battery used by all military services to determine the qualifications of candidates for enlistment and assign enlistees to military occupations.) The…

Findings of a study that examined the relationship between aspiring educational administrators' graduate school admissions test performances and their assessed skill dimensions are presented in this paper. Specifically, the study sought to determine the relationship between graduate admissions test scores, as measured by the Miller Analogies Test…

Ball Aptitude BAttery (BAB) scores, grades, and American College Test (ACT) scores were obtained for over 800 high school seniors. BAB scores adequately predicted academic success in 10 subject areas and on the ACT. The battery seemed valid for career planning for males, females, Blacks, Hispanics, and Whites. (Author/GDC)

Contrary to findings of the Educational Testing Service and the College Board, the authors contend that coaching can effectively help raise student scores on the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT). They argue that the SAT is not in fact a measure of "aptitude" and that high school grades and achievement tests are better predictors of…