Subject-specific tests improve master admission

Objective: We investigated the predictive power of bachelor grades and a subject-specific admission test used to select students who enlisted to study in a German master’s program in psychology. Methods: Analyses are based on the data of 2,264 university applicants from five cohorts. Results: Bachelor grades were not significantly correlated with master grades as well as with test scores for external applicants, but the relationships were significant for internal applicants. In contrast, the correlation of test scores and master grades was comparable between groups, which can be seen as an indicator of test fairness. Regression analysis showed that the admission test was a valid predictor for master grades. Furthermore, we found that both predictors, bachelor grades and test scores, were incrementally valid. Discussion: In sum, this study illustrates the benefits of using a standardized test for master student admission. We discuss issues of using coherent admission criteria across institutions.