Evaluating the Effectiveness of the Admission Test: an Empirical Study in the Area of Logical Thinking
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.35997/unaciencia.v17i33.806Keywords:
admission conditions, entrance exams, student evaluation, test constructionAbstract
Educational institutions face a growing demand, which has led to the implementation of entrance exams as the main filter to select applicants with the greatest potential for academic success. However, there is debate as to whether these exams are adequate to evaluate the potential of applicants in specific areas of knowledge. Therefore, it is necessary to investigate whether such tests are well designed and whether they adequately discriminate between applicants. The purpose of this study was to analyze the effectiveness of the admission test at a university in northeastern Mexico, specifically in logical thinking. The research was developed in three phases: development of a question bank, creation of a controlled environment for the pilot test, and evaluation of the performance and validity of the test using various techniques. The analysis showed that most of the test items have a high discriminative ability. However, items were identified as needing revision. The biserial discrimination coefficient indicated a good level of discrimination, and the overall degree of difficulty of the test leaned toward the moderately difficult level. The distractor analysis validated that the response options fulfill their function. The logical thinking test demonstrates a sound methodological approach and careful implementation. However, a continuous revision of items with low discrimination and ineffective response options is recommended to improve the reliability and validity of the test, consolidating an accurate and fair assessment of the applicants’ logical thinking abilities.
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