skip to main content skip to footer

The Relationship of GRE General Test Scores to First-Year Grades for Foreign Graduate Students: Report of a Cooperative Study GRE GREB

Author(s):
Wilson, Kenneth M.
Publication Year:
1986
Report Number:
RR-86-44
Source:
ETS Research Report
Document Type:
Report
Page Count:
87
Subject/Key Words:
Graduate Record Examinations Board, Aptitude Tests, English (Second Language), Foreign Students, Grade Prediction, Graduate Record Examinations (GRE), Predictive Validity

Abstract

The present study was designed as a GRE population validity study for foreign students enrolled in U.S. graduate schools. Primary interest was in validity for students for whom English is a second language (foreign ESL students). The study was based on data for a total of 1,353 foreign ESL students and 42 foreign ENL (English-native-language) students from 97 graduate departments in 23 graduate schools. Average levels and patterns of GRE/FYA correlations based on pooled data for foreign ESL students from 86 quantitative departments and five "verbal" departments were found to be comparable to levels and patterns of coefficients that have been reported by the GRE Validity Study Service (VSS) for a sample composed primarily of U.S. citizens; results for six bioscience departments were anomalous, due probably to sampling effects. In quantitative fields, quantitative and analytical scores were the strongest predictors; in the verbal fields, verbal scores were strongest. GRE verbal and TOEFL total scores had parallel patterns of validity.

Read More