Admissions Testing: Recommended Uses, Validity, Differential Prediction, and Coaching

Although test scores are routinely required in the admissions process at many colleges, graduate, and professional schools, their uses and the degree to which they influence admissions are quite variable. The use of admissions tests also has been the focus of controversy for some time. In particular, the validity of tests, their sensitivity to short-term coaching, and, more generally, the appropriateness of using tests for admissions, especially for minority applicants, have been questioned. The nature of admissions tests and their intended uses are reviewed. Evidence regarding the validity of tests, their contributions to admissions decisions, the effects of coaching, and possible bias in the predictive meaning of test scores for women and racial/ethnic minorities is summarized and discussed in terms of current controversies surrounding admissions testing.