GRE – use!?

I stumbled upon the original article which cites the failure of GRE in predicting Grad school success. It was written way back in 1997 (10 years …. phew). My attempt here is to get you all together and try and ascertain whether things have changed substantially in the last 10 years!? After all, it directly cites our success in graduate school and an indication will be very enlightening to say the least. But I must add that to this end, I would need the support of current grad students as they would be able to answer questions on two fronts. First, how do the high scorers fare in the courses once they get in. And secondly, how are the universities using the scores at present!

GRE Fails To Predict Grad School Success:

The Graduate Record Examination (GRE) does little to predict who will do well in graduate school for any field or major, according to this study by Cornell and Yale universities. Of the three subtests of the GRE (verbal, quantitative and analytical) and the GRE advanced test, only the analytical subtest predicted any aspect of graduate success beyond the first-year grade point average (GPA), and this prediction held for men only. The verbal subtest and subject test predicted first-year GPA, but this prediction vanished by the second year’s GPA. “With these exceptions, the GRE scores were not useful as predictors of various aspects of graduate performance, including ratings by primary advisers of analytical, creative, practical, research and teaching abilities by primary advisers and ratings of dissertation quality by independent faculty readers,” said Wendy M. Williams, associate professor of human development at Cornell University. Williams and her colleague, Robert J. Sternberg of Yale University – both experts on measures and theories of intelligence. The researchers strongly suspect that the GREs may prove to lack validity in predicting performance in all fields (though the test was conducted for specific groups). “We know from other researchers’ work that the GREs also have failed to predict success in the field of physics and other sciences, and we suspect that the GREs will fail to prove predictive for the humanities as well,” Williams said. “Instead of relying so heavily on the GREs – and many applicants aren’t even considered if their GRE scores are not in the top group – we need to develop and use tests that measure meaningful performances in specific areas. The GREs, including the subject test, do not assess many of the types of abilities required for succeeding as a professional,” Williams said. She also pointed out that applicants from less privileged backgrounds, who are not as likely to do as well on the GRE as applicants from good preparatory schools, lose out even though they may have the appropriate skills for the profession they desire. “Graduate programs rely so heavily on GREs to make their initial cuts, many well-qualified applicants who are strong in the appropriate areas aren’t even being considered. This is a huge disservice to the applicants, the graduate programs and society at large.” The researchers set out to test the validity of the GRE, working within the broader framework of the triarchic theory of human intelligence. The triarchic theory distinguishes academic or analytical abilities from creative and practical abilities. “Academic-analytical abilities are used when one analyzes, compares and contrasts, evaluates, judges or critiques,” said Sternberg, who has published widely on the theories of intelligence. “Creative abilities are used when one invents, discovers, supposes, hypothesizes or theorizes. Practical abilities are used when one applies, uses or implements.”

When the researchers looked at GRE scores and GPAs, they did find a marginal relationship between the scores and grades in the first year of graduate study. When they looked in more detail at the GRE subtests and the genders separately, they found only one of them (the analytical test score) successfully predicted more consequential evaluations of student performance (dissertation reader ratings) – but this was only true for men. For women, there was no prediction. “This study suggests the need to reflect on the use of tests before they become firmly – and, as it sometimes seems, irrevocably – entrenched (at present the situation seems to be changing for the better). Too often, we believe, the use of a test becomes self-perpetuating, without serious attempts to verify its effectiveness,” the psychologists wrote. “We believe that our results underscore the need for serious validation studies of the GRE, not to mention other admissions indexes, against measures of consequential performances, whether of students or of professionals.”

I was able to retrive some more information (again I have posted this a few months back). It includes a section from ETS guide itself clearly establishing the fact that they themselves concede to the unpredictable nature of GRE and consequently ask universities to use it as an indicator at best!

Like other multiple-choice exams, the GRE does not accurately assess a test-taker’s full potential for achievement in scholastic, professional, or personal endeavors, and limits access to graduate school for many individuals, particularly women, students of color, and non-traditional applicants.

Despite its primary purpose of predicting success in graduate school, a GRE score adds little useful information to a student’s application – the test’s own developer admits that undergraduate college grades do a better job of forecasting graduate achievement. ETS concedes “The limitations of graduate school admissions tests in the face of the complexity of the graduate education process have long been recognized…the critical skills associated with scholarly and professional competence…are not currently measured by graduate admissions tests.”

The ability of the GRE to predict first-year graduate grades is incredibly weak, according to data from the test’s manufacturer. In one ETS study of 12,000 test takers, the exam accounted for a mere 9% of the differences (or variation) among students’ first-year grades. Undergraduate grades proved to be a stronger predictor of academic success, explaining 14% of the variation in graduate school grades. An independent non-ETS study found an even weaker relationship between test scores and academic achievement – just 6% of the variation in grades could be predicted by GRE scores.

How is GRE being misused:

ETS guidelines specify: “A cutoff score based solely on GRE scores should never be used as the sole criterion for denial of admissions.” Yet one ETS study revealed that only 10% of schools adhere to these guidelines, with almost 30% of those surveyed indicating they use a cutoff score and 10% recommending use of a cutoff. ETS has done little to curb such misuses.

For a better understanding of the ETS guidelines, check this link

GRE Score usage guidelines

I would like some views to come in here! I do realize that it is not possible to get the information (the statistical data) that easily and therefore I am dependent on the word of mouth! Graduate students would be well aware of the current scenario and thus I would urge them to throw some light on the issue. I do know that most of the “top programs” in engineering are not giving any preference to GRE scores! The trend in other disciplines is also similar. I urge grads to shed more light!