The fourth year of the Test Preparation Program for Gifted and Talented Sophomores (TPPGTS) is evaluated. This 6-week, 75-hour test coaching program was developed to teach high-achieving students principles/strategies required for doing well on the Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test (PSAT)/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test to increase…

This book is intended primarily for persons about to take the university psychometric entrance examination in Israel, particularly those who want more information than is provided in the standard explanation booklets. The book can also be used by candidates for employment in the public or private sector who are required to take psychological…

The effect of commercial coaching on Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) scores was analyzed, using 1974-1977 test results of 2,500 non-coached students and 1,568 enrollees in two coaching schools. (The Stanley H. Kaplan Educational Center, Inc., and the Test Preparation Center, Inc.). Multiple regression analysis was used to control for student…

After adjusting for different background characteristics of students, effects on test scores were related to the length and type of test coaching programs offered. The data suggest that the test item types in the Graduate Record Examination General Test appear to show little susceptibility to formal coaching experiences. (Author/DWH)

Active student engagement with course materials, such as note-taking and cooperative learning, is associated with greater performance. This study investigated the relationship between scores achieved by students in an undergraduate course and active engagement during testing, whether using a cheat sheet or engaging in a form of cooperative…

Opinions about the purpose and effectiveness of test preparation seminars vary, but it is clear that preparation for standardized tests is here to stay. The literature suggests that students do benefit from preparation for standardized tests. The effect of test preparation seminars on standardized achievement tests was studied for 30 of 100 high…

The history of test coaching has shown that positive benefits can be produced from short-term orientation, practice, and drill. Coaching on the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) has been especially scrutinized for efficacy and has shown modest program effects, despite the limited scope and duration of such programs. The present investigation expands…

Scholastic Aptitude Test skills of dyslexics can be enhanced through use of special test administration arrangements and a structured program of vocabulary development, test-taking strategies, and a pattern of analysis to improve reading comprehension. Two case studies illustrate the impact of drill and reinforcement, multimodal imagery…

Information about how Graduate Record Examination (GRE) examinees solve verbal analogy problems was obtained in this study through protocol analysis. High- and low-ability subjects who had recently taken the GRE General Test were asked to "think aloud" as they worked through eight analogy items. These items varied factorially on the…

This paper examined test scores and information about test takers collected from the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) national test administration files, GRE validity study data provided by institutional users, and survey questionnaires sent to test repeaters. Data were collected from 200,000 men and women who took the GRE General Test in June…

A sharp decline in the number of Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) candidates scoring over 600 (on a scale of 200-800), has been observed from 1969-70 through 1974-75. Several suggested explanations of this phenomenon relating to test-taking patterns are discussed. Specifically examined are the possibilities that fewer students take the SAT more than…

A non-experimental design was used to determine if scores of students enrolled in specified major coaching schools were significantly higher than scores of comparable uncoached groups. Score increases at two Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) coaching schools and Law School Admission Test (LSAT) schools were compared. Over 1,400 SAT examinees and…

"Test preparation" activities can range from simple practice to in-depth instruction, but most of these activities use some form of test familiarization, drill and practice with feedback, training in strategies for specific item types, and general test-taking, subject-matter review, and skill development exercises. Two experiments were…

This paper examines the controversies surrounding the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) and its use in college admissions policies. An early section reviews the history and development of the test. Next the essay reviews a series of challenges to the SAT: many argue that the structure of the examination is biased against women and minorities. Others…

This study reexamines results reported by Angoff and Schrader regarding formula directions and rights directions for standardized tests. In that study, it was concluded that the two scoring directions were essentially equivalent. In this study, methodological concerns are discussed and additional data analyses undertaken. Among various…