Editing Graduate Record Examinations (section)

===Weak indicator of graduate school performance===

The GREs are criticized for not being a true measure of whether a student will be successful in graduate school. [[Robert Sternberg]] (now of [[Cornell University]];<ref name="news.cornell.edu">{{cite web|url=http://www.news.cornell.edu/stories/2014/01/robert-sternberg-joins-human-ecology-faculty-feb-1|title=Robert Sternberg joins Human Ecology faculty Feb. 1 - Cornell Chronicle|website=www.news.cornell.edu}}</ref> working at [[Yale University]] at the time of the study), a long-time critic of modern intelligence testing in general, found the GRE general test was weakly predictive of success in graduate studies in psychology.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Sternberg |first1=R. J. |last2=Williams |first2=W. M. |year=1997 |title=Does the Graduate Record Examination predict meaningful success in the graduate training of psychology? A case study |journal=American Psychologist |volume=52 |issue= 6|pages=630–641 |url=http://www.news.cornell.edu/releases/Aug97/GRE.study.ssl.html |doi=10.1037/0003-066x.52.6.630|url-access=subscription }}</ref> The strongest relationship was found for the now-defunct analytical portion of the exam.

The ETS published a report ("What is the Value of the GRE?") that points out the predictive value of the GRE on a student's index of success at the graduate level.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ets.org/Media/Tests/GRE/pdf/gre_0809_value_of_gre.pdf|title=Value of GRE|website=Ets.org|access-date=29 May 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120611000114/http://www.ets.org/Media/Tests/GRE/pdf/gre_0809_value_of_gre.pdf|archive-date=June 11, 2012|url-status=dead|df=mdy-all}}</ref> The problem with earlier studies is the statistical phenomenon of restriction of range. A [[correlation]] coefficient is sensitive to the range sampled for the test.  Specifically, if only students accepted to graduate programs are studied (in Sternberg & Williams and other research), the relationship is occluded.  Validity coefficients range from .30 to .45 between the GRE and both first year and overall graduate GPA in ETS' study.<ref name="Kuncel2001" />

Kaplan and Saccuzzo state that the criterion that the GRE best predicts is first-year grades in graduate school. However, this correlation is only in the high tens to low twenties. "If the test correlates with a criterion at the .4 level, then it accounts for 16% of the variability in that criterion, with the other 84% resulting from unknown factors and errors"<ref>Kaplan, R. M. & Saccuzzo, D. P. (2009). Psychological testing: Principles, applications, and issues. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth</ref> (p.&nbsp;303). Graduate schools may be placing too much importance on standardized tests rather than on factors that more fully account for graduate school success, such as a thesis-requiring [[Honours degree]], prior research experience, GPAs, or work experience. While graduate schools do consider these areas, many times schools will not consider applicants that score below a current score of roughly 314 (1301 prior score). Kaplan and Saccuzzo also state that "the GRE predict[s] neither clinical skill nor even the ability to solve real-world problems" (p.&nbsp;303).

In 2007, a study by a university found a correlation of .30 to .45 between the GRE and both first year and overall graduate GPA.  The correlation between GRE score and graduate school completion rates ranged from .11 (for the now defunct analytical section) to .39 (for the GRE subject test).  Correlations with faculty ratings ranged from .35 to .50.<ref name="Kuncel2001">{{cite journal |last1=Kuncel |first1=N. R. |last2=Hezlett |first2=S. A. |last3=Ones |first3=D. S. |year=2001 |title=A comprehensive meta-analysis of the predictive validity of the Graduate Record Examination: Implications for graduate student selection and performance |journal=Psychological Bulletin |volume=127 |issue=1 |pages=162–181 |url=http://web.uvic.ca/psyc/lindsay/teaching/499/readings/kuncel.pdf |doi=10.1037/0033-2909.127.1.162 |pmid=11271753 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927112933/http://web.uvic.ca/psyc/lindsay/teaching/499/readings/kuncel.pdf |archive-date=September 27, 2007 |df=mdy-all }}</ref>