Entry Diagnostics for Predicting Study Success in Higher Education Economics Using a Validated Test

• In Event: International Perspectives in Assessment

Abstract

To validly measure students’ entry preconditions in the admission phase of higher education, the potentials of entrance tests are increasingly discussed in higher education research and practice. Based on a Germany-wide, large-scale representative study in higher education economics that assesses students’ level of prior study-related knowledge and economics understanding at the beginning of studies, we examine how study admission can be improved through entry diagnostics using a valid test. The analyses are based on a sub-sample of 863 economics students who participated in two surveys at the beginning and at the end of their first study-year. The findings show that using a domain-specific knowledge entrance test can predict study success and study dropout after one academic year with significant reliability.

Authors

• Carla Kühling-Thees, Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz

• Jasmin Reichert-Schlax, Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz

• Olga Zlatkin-Troitschanskaia, Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz

• Stefan Schipolowski