Nazanin Azamnouri & Dr. Behzad Ghonsooly
Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Iran
Entrance examinations are of great significance in countries where the candidate selection procedure is done through these tests. Several studies have investigated the predictive validity of such examinations and conflicting results have been obtained. The aim of the current study was to assess the predictive validity of the B.A. entrance examination for English majors in Iran. Data was collected from a class of 50 students of English Language and Literature at Ferdowsi University of Mashhad. The required data consisting of students’ rankings and GPA was obtained from the department of education of the university and from the participants themselves. Semi-structured interviews were conducted to examine the difference between the students’ ranks and their GPAs in addition to illuminate the effective factors on their success or failure during their four years of education. The results indicated no meaningful correlation between the participants’ entrance examination ranks and their total GPAs; thus, no predictive validity was found. The outcomes should be taken into consideration for improving the predictive validity of the Iranian University Entrance Examination which dictates the candidates’ future to a great extent.
The above abstract is a part of the article which was accepted at The International Conference on Current Issues of Languages, Dialects and Linguistics (WWW.TLLL.IR), 2-3 February 2017, Ahwaz.
