Skip to main content Accessibility help
×
Hostname: page-component-6d856f89d9-8l2sj Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-07-16T06:32:54.374Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Chapter 14 - General Academic and Subject-Based Examinations Used in Undergraduate Higher Education Admissions

from Part III - Assessments Used in Higher Education Admissions

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 January 2020

María Elena Oliveri
Affiliation:
Educational Testing Service, Princeton, New Jersey
Cathy Wendler
Affiliation:
Educational Testing Service, Princeton, New Jersey
Get access

Summary

This chapter describes academic assessments that measure general or subject-specific skills that are used around the world. Two types of assessments are discussed: exit exams used when leaving an institution and entrance exams required for admittance to an institution. General characteristics of the tests, concerns, and psychometric challenges for their use are summarized. Detailed examples ofassessments used in specific countries are given.

Type
Chapter
Information
Higher Education Admissions Practices
An International Perspective
, pp. 237 - 255
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2020

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

ACT. (2017a). ACT technical manual. Iowa City, IA: ACT.Google Scholar
ACT. (2017b). Fairness report for the ACT tests: 2015/2016. Iowa City, IA: ACT.Google Scholar
ACT. (2018). The condition of college and career readiness, national 2018. Iowa City, IA: ACT.Google Scholar
Ağazade, A. S., Caner, H., Hasipoğlu, H. N., & Civelek, A. H. (2014). Turkish university entrance test and academic achievement in undergraduate programs: A criterion-related validity study. Procedia: Social and Behavioral Sciences 116, 45824590. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2014.01.990.Google Scholar
Akbas, I. (2015). Comparison between undergraduate placement examination (LYS) in Turkey and EdEXCEL international advanced levels examination (IAL) in the world. Green University Review of Social Sciences, 2(2), 7193. Retrieved from http://green.edu.bd/wp-content/uploads/PDFs/Journals/GURSS/v-2-i-2/Comparison_Between_Undergraduate_Placement_Examination_LYS_in_Turkey_and_Edexcel_International_Advanced_Levels_Examination_IAL_in_the_World.pdf.Google Scholar
Akkök, F., & Watts, A. G. (2003). Public policies and career development: Country report on Turkey. Washington, DC: World Bank. Retrieved from http://siteresources.worldbank.org/INTLL/Resources/Public-Policies-and-Career-Development-Policy/Turkey_report.pdf.Google Scholar
Alavi, T. (2012). The predictive validity of final English exams as a measure of success in Iranian National University Entrance English Exam. Journal of Language Teaching and Research, 3, 224228. https://doi.org/10.4304/jltr.3.1.224-228.Google Scholar
American Educational Research Association, American Psychological Association, and National Council on Measurement in Education. (2014). Standards for educational and psychological testing. Washington, DC: American Educational Research Association.Google Scholar
Atalmis, E. H. (2016). Do the guideline violations influence test difficulty of high-stake test? An investigation on University Entrance Examination in Turkey. Journal of Education and Training Studies, 4(10), 17. https://doi.org/10.11114/jets.v4i10.1738.Google Scholar
Beard, J., & Marini, J. (2018). Validity of the SAT for predicting first-year grades: 2013 SAT validity sample. New York, NY: The College Board.Google Scholar
Benton, T., & Bramley, T. (2015). The use of evidence in setting and maintaining standards in GCSEs and A levels: Discussion paper. Cambridge: Cambridge Assessment.Google Scholar
Cascallar, A. S., & Dorans, N. J. (2003). Linking scores from tests of similar content given in different languages: Spanish language PAA and English language SAT I. New York, NY: College Entrance Examination Board.Google Scholar
Choi, H. J., & Park, J.-H. (2013) Historical analysis of the policy on the college entrance system in South Korea. International Education Studies, 6(11). https://doi.org/10.5539/ies.v6n11p106.Google Scholar
Clinedinst, M., & Patel, P. (2018). 2018 state of college admission. Arlington, VA: National Association for College Admission Counseling.Google Scholar
The College Board. (2008). The Puerto Rico and Latin America Office. New York, NY: Author.Google Scholar
The College Board. (2017a). SAT suite of assessments technical manual: Characteristics of the SAT. New York, NY: Author.Google Scholar
The College Board. (2017b). PAA revisada: Preguntas y respuestas [Revised PAA: Questions and answers]. Retrieved from https://latam.collegeboard.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/PAA-Preguntas-y-Respuestas-Puerto-Rico-2017.pdfGoogle Scholar
Council of Chief State School Officers. (2014). Criteria for procuring and evaluating high quality assessments. Retrieved from https://ccsso.org/sites/default/files/2017-10/CCSSO%20Criteria%20for%20High%20Quality%20Assessments%2003242014.pdf.Google Scholar
Council of Chief State School Officers & Association of Test Publishers. (2013). Operational best practices for statewide large-scale assessment programs (2013 ed.). Washington, DC: Council of Chief State School Officers & Association of Test Publishers.Google Scholar
Farrokhi-Khajeh-Pasha, Y., Nedjat, S., Mohammadi, A., Rad, E. M., Majdzadeh, R., Monajemi, F., & Yasdani, S. (2012). The validity of Iran’s national university entrance examination (Konkoor) for predicting medical students’ academic performance. BMC Medical Education, 12(60), 18. https://doi.org/10.1186/1472-6920-12-60.Google Scholar
Gronlund, N. E., & Linn, R. L. (1990). Measurement and evaluation in teaching. New York, NY: Macmillan.Google Scholar
Hatipoğlu, C. (2016). The impact of the University Entrance Exam on EFL education in Turkey: Pre-service English language teacher’s perspective. Procedia: Social and Behavioral Sciences, 232, 136144. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2016.10.038.Google Scholar
Helms, R. M. (2008). University admission worldwide. Washington, DC: International Bank for Reconstruction and Development/World Bank.Google Scholar
Hudson, T. (2005). Trends in assessment scales and criterion-referenced language assessment. Annual Review of Applied Linguistics, 25, 205227. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0267190505000115.Google Scholar
Huh, N. R., & Huang, C.-Y. (2016). Examining the validity of ACT composite score and high school grade point average for predicting first-year college GPA of special-tested students. Iowa City, IA: ACT, Inc.Google Scholar
International Test Commission (2001). International guidelines for test use. International Journal of Testing, 1, 93114. https://doi.org/10.1207/S15327574IJT0102_1.Google Scholar
International Test Commission (2006). International guidelines on computer-based and internet delivered testing. International Journal of Testing, 6, 143171. https://doi.org/10.1207/s15327574ijt0602_4.Google Scholar
International Test Commission (2012). ITC guidelines on quality control in scoring, test analysis, and reporting of test scores. Retrieved from www.intestcom.org.Google Scholar
International Test Commission (2014). International guidelines on the security of tests, examinations, and other assessments. Retrieved from www.intestcom.org/files/guideline_test_security.pdf.Google Scholar
International Test Commission (2018). ITC guidelines for the large-scale assessment of linguistically and culturally diverse populations. Retrieved from www.researchgate.net/publication/315761630_ITC_Guidelines_for_the_Large-Scale_Assessment_of_Linguistically_Diverse_Populations.Google Scholar
Kamyab, S. (2008). The University Entrance Exam crisis in Iran. International Higher Education, 51,2223. https://doi.org/10.6017/ihe.2008.51.8010.Google Scholar
Kane, M. T. (2013). Validating the interpretations and uses of test scores. Journal of Educational Measurement, 50, 173. https://doi.org/10.1111/jedm.12000.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kuramoto, N., & Koizumi, R. (2018). Current issues in large-scale educational assessment in Japan: Focus on national assessment of academic ability and university entrance examinations. Assessment in Education: Principles, Policy, & Practice, 25, 415433. https://doi.org/10.1080/0969594X.2016.1225667.Google Scholar
Kwon, S. K., Lee, M., & Shin, D. (2017). Educational assessment in the Republic of Korea: Lights and shadows of high-stake exam-based education system. Assessment in Education: Principles, Policy, & Practice, 24, 6077. https://doi.org/10.1080/0969594X.2015.1074540.Google Scholar
McGrath, C. H., Henham, M. L., Corbett, A., Durazzi, N., Frearson, M., Janta, B., & Schweppenstedde, D. (2014.) Higher education entrance qualifications and exams in Europe: A comparison. Directorate-General for Internal Polices, Policy Department Structural and Cohesion Policies, European Parliament. Retrieved from www.europarl.europa.eu/thinktank/en/document.html?reference=IPOL-CULT_ET(2014)529057.Google Scholar
Marini, J. P., Beard, J., & Shaw, E. (2018). Student ranking differences within institutions using old and new SAT scores. New York, NY: The College Board.Google Scholar
Marini, J. P., Shaw, E. J., & Young, L. (2016). Using old and new SAT Scores for admission: A closer look at concordant scores in predictive models (College Board Research Report No. 2016-17). New York, NY: The College Board.Google Scholar
Messick, S. (1989). Validity. In Linn, R. L. (Ed.). Educational measurement (3rd ed.) (pp. 13103). New York, NY: Collier Macmillan.Google Scholar
Mundar, D., Kečik, D., & Matotek, D. (2015). Relationship between enrolment criteria and first-year student’ study-success. Proceedings of the 3rd Human and Social Sciences at the Common Conference, Slovakia, 3(1), 111115. https://doi.org/10.18638/hassacc.2015.3.1.179.Google Scholar
National Center for University Entrance Examinations. (2015). National Center for University Entrance Examinations Annual Report. Tokyo: National Center for University Entrance Examinations. Retrieved from www.dnc.ac.jp/albums/abm.php?f=abm00006725.pdf&n=2015%E5%A4.Google Scholar
Neather, E. J. (1993). The Abitur examination. Language Learning Journal, 7, 1921. https://doi.org/10.1080/09571739385200071.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation. (2012). International comparisons in senior secondary assessment: Full report. Coventry: Ofqual.Google Scholar
Razmjoo, S. A., & Madani, H. (2013). A content analysis of the English section of university entrance exams based on Bloom’s revised taxonomy. International Journal of Language Learning and Applied Linguistics World, 4(3), 105129.Google Scholar
Salmi, J., & Fèvre, C. (2008). Tertiary education and lifelong learning in Brazil. Retrieved from www.anped.org.br/sites/default/files/resources/SALMI_Jamil_e_F_VRE_Chlo_._Tertiary_Education_and_Lifelong_Learning_in_Brazil..pdf.Google Scholar
Sazegar, Z., & Motallebzadeh, K. (2017). Iranian National University Entrance Examination (Konkoor) of B.A.: An analysis of its reliability and validity. Modern Journal of Language Teaching Methods, 3(7), 358365.Google Scholar
Shaw, E. (2015). An SAT validity primer. New York, NY: The College Board.Google Scholar
Shaw, S., & Crisp, V. (2010). How valid are A levels? Findings from a multi-method validation study of an international A level in geography. Paper presented at the Association for Educational Assessment in Europe, Oslo, Norway.Google Scholar
Stringer, N. (2014). The achieved weightings of assessment objective as a source of validity evidence (Ofqual Report No. 14/5375). Coventry: Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation. Retrieved from https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/605434/2014-02-11-the-achieved-weightings-of-assessment-objectives-as-a-source-of-validity-evidence.pdf.Google Scholar
Sutch, T., Zanini, N., & Benton, T. (2015). A level reform: Implications for subject uptake. (Cambridge Assessment Research Report). Cambridge: Cambridge Assessment.Google Scholar
Wang, X. B. (2006). An Introduction to the system and culture of the college entrance examination of China (Office of Research and Analysis Report No. RN-28). New York, NY: The College Board.Google Scholar
Watanabe, Y. (2013). The National Center Test for university admissions. Language Testing, 30, 565573. https://doi.org/10.1177/0265532213483095.Google Scholar
Wedman, J. (2017). Theory and validity evidence for a large-scale test for selection to higher education. Umea: Umea University.Google Scholar
World Bank. (2000). Brazil: Higher education sector study (Report No. 19392-BR). Washington, DC: Human Development Department, Latin America and the Caribbean Region.Google Scholar
Zanini, N., & Williamson, J. (2017). Learning aims: A preliminary exploration to monitor A/AS level reform (Cambridge Assessment Research Report). Cambridge: Cambridge Assessment.Google Scholar

Save book to Kindle

To save this book to your Kindle, first ensure coreplatform@cambridge.org is added to your Approved Personal Document E-mail List under your Personal Document Settings on the Manage Your Content and Devices page of your Amazon account. Then enter the ‘name’ part of your Kindle email address below. Find out more about saving to your Kindle.

Note you can select to save to either the @free.kindle.com or @kindle.com variations. ‘@free.kindle.com’ emails are free but can only be saved to your device when it is connected to wi-fi. ‘@kindle.com’ emails can be delivered even when you are not connected to wi-fi, but note that service fees apply.

Find out more about the Kindle Personal Document Service.

Available formats
×

Save book to Dropbox

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Dropbox.

Available formats
×

Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

Available formats
×