Relative Effects of English Proficiency on General Admissions Tests Versus Subject Tests

Author: Pennock-Román M.

Source: Research in Higher Education, Volume 43, Number 5, October 2002 , pp. 601-623(23)

Publisher: Springer

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Abstract:

The increasing linguistic diversity of the United States student population has brought to the forefront problems in the interpretation of test scores for non-native speakers of English in graduate admissions. The degree to which test scores reflect English proficiency was studied using data on N = 451 students whose native language was Spanish. They had taken the GRE, English proficiency tests, and the PAEG, a test in Spanish used for admission to graduate schools in Puerto Rico. Regression analyses revealed that the proportion of variance explained by the English proficiency terms (independent of developed skills measured in Spanish) was highest for the GRE verbal test (34%), lowest for the quantitative test (8%) and intermediate for the analytical test (16%), the Psychology (18%) and Biology (17%) Subject tests. These findings are discussed in light of efforts to increase access to higher education for Hispanic students.

Keywords: test validity; Hispanic; English proficiency

Language: English

Document Type: Research article

Affiliations: 1: The Pennsylvania State University at University Park and Educational Testing Service; mariyin@aol.com

Publication date: 2002-10-01