The Predictive Validity of Entrance Examinations at the Ethiopian Civil Service College

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine the validity of the locally developed college entrance examinations at the Ethiopian Civil Service College (ECSC). The validation aspect is assessed in the context of the prediction of college performance. The subtests for the year 2000 and 2001 entrance examination scores were used to predict the academic success of students who were attending the ECSC. A total of 1026 students’ results were included in the validation study. Descriptive statistics and multiple regression equation were employed in the data analysis. The results indicated that the English language subtest has proved to be an important predictor of college performance for the degree program. The same is true of the year 2000 Physics subtest for the Municipal Engineering field. However, it was found that the independent effect of Mathematics and Law subtests in the prediction of College performance is minimal. It is, therefore, concluded that the entrance examination employed by the ECSC as an admission test has considerable predictive power in relation to college success, particularly for first year studies.