We are committed to providing you with the most up-to-date resources and announcements from the college admissions testing landscape. Here are some of the top headlines from this past month:
Summary: Last month, ACT administered it's first wide-scale computer-based test (CBT) for international students. There were a handful of issues according to Inside Higher Ed: at least 39 test sites were cancelled at the last minute because they weren't ready to administer the exam and some students were not able to complete the exam at other sites due to technical issues. On social media we saw reports from test-site administrators that when they opened for testing on test day, the ACT's computer system experienced glitches that prevented them from checking in students, resulting in canceled exams. And our own students reported small tech glitches that disrupted but didn't cancel testing (such as the entire site's computers shutting down midway through a section). In these cases student progress was saved and timers paused so students could resume testing when systems restarted. Our students also reported non-technical hiccups (such as proctors unsure of how to deal with issues or generally unfamiliar with the new exam format).
What this means:
Glitches on ACT (Inside Higher Ed)
Summary: A recent study found that removing the penalty for wrong answers on multiple-choice exams reduces the gender gap in test performance by 9%, according to the Harvard Business Review. The study used data from Chile, where a large-scale policy change removed the penalty for wrong answers on the national college entry exam. When the penalty was still in place, women were significantly more likely than men to skip questions, but when the penalty was removed, the gender gap disappeared. The paper argues that the wrong-answer penalty may result in “worse test scores for women than equally knowledgeable men.”
What this means: This is a complicated story and requires a bit of unpacking.
The Impact of Penalties for Wrong Answers on the Gender Gap in Test Scores(Harvard Business School)
Summary: Last year, the College Board (in collaboration with WE) ran a successful pilot study integrating a service-learning component in 6 courses at a variety of test schools. As part of the component, AP students participate in a project within the WE framework, and “apply their academic learning to real-life settings and situations by being active in meaningful community-based service.” This year, the program will be available to every school and in every AP course. Participation in the program is up to a student’s school and teacher.
What this means:
A Thousands of Students Will be able to Engage in Service Learning While Taking AP(College Board)
AP with WE Service(College Board)