Given the difficulty of admissions decisions, admissions officers must use all of the information they can secure to evaluate a student's potential for graduate study. The various admissions procedures and uses of standardized tests in the 10 schools of the University of Virginia are described. (Author/CM)

Describes an empirical study that tested the impact of placement test rater meetings on rates of agreement and placement outcomes. Notes that the study provides a rich array of data for the testing of theoretical assumptions about placement models. Reviews the foundations of holistic scoring and the challenges raised by the Washington State…

Explores how social, legal, and demographic forces threaten to dethrone the most widely used college entrance exam. New criticism focuses on the use of what is essentially an IQ test to measure students' ability to learn. (EV)

Ten different methods of using computer administered tests in college level biology are described: evaluation (or posttest), student self-evaluation, student self-remediation, class remediation, individual student remediation, pretesting, identification of problem areas, immediate feedback, group testing, and remote site testing. (Author/MBR)

Most stakeholders in higher education are deeply interested in improving student learning outcomes, but there is disagreement about whether standardized testing programs will contribute to this goal. Plans for standardized testing of college students in public institutions appear to be on the rise. Eight to 10 states currently engage in…

The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill medical school uses an objective structured clinical examination as the final exam in physical diagnosis. Since 1987, students and evaluators have shown overwhelming acceptance and support of the test, partly because it is structured for teaching as well as assessment. (Author/MSE)

Major changes in the content and format, standard-setting procedures, and score reporting policies in the National Board of Medical Examiners' comprehensive Part I examination are described. The phase-in of the United States Medical Licensing Examination and implications for score use are also discussed. (Author/MSE)

Issues related to the two-stage college entrance examinations used in Turkey are explored. Focus is on the first stage, the selection phase of the examination, rather than on the second stage, the placement phase. Further study is needed of the dimensionality of the test and sources of item bias. (SLD)

Presents examples of test bias and test misuse. Discusses FairTest (National Center for Fair and Open Testing) program areas and initiatives at the elementary, secondary, and higher education levels. Discusses keeping the community informed. (RS)

The admissions decisions of a university are one of its four "essential freedoms," and the courts, as a general rule, defer to universities' judgments regarding academic decisions. In many cases, the courts have said that admissions standards cannot be high-handed, arbitrary, or formulated in bad faith, and they must fall within constitutionally…

Competency assessment is used for diagnostic purposes at the City University of New York (CUNY) Queens College. CUNY had decided that all students admitted after 1987 be tested. In addition, minimum competencies were required after the completion of 60 credits. Queens College chose to use the tests for entering freshmen for placement decisions,…

The uses, advantages and disadvantages, preparation, and scoring of essay tests and oral tests are outlined and discussed, and sample questions of each type oriented to pharmaceutical instruction are provided. (MSE)

This paper is designed to initiate discussion about new educational accountability systems and the implications of these systems for educator preparation. Accountability systems are often developed with little regard to a clear definition of accountability, but once the systems are in place, and states are showing (realistic or political)…

The implicit responsibility of colleges and universities to use tests to match the capabilities of the diversity of students with the requirements of programs of study is examined. Test uses in admissions and counseling are shown to be an important means of predicting success. (Author/CM)

Most admissions officers do not use test scores as the sole criterion for denying a student admission. However, sometimes test scores are the only redeeming feature in a student's credentials. Test use in regular and provisional admissions is discussed. (Author/CM)