Graduate School Admission Testing

The rise in the use of standardized tests for admissions to graduate degree programs can largely be traced back to the 1950s and 60s when the Educational Testing Service owned and admistered seperate tests for different graduate school. However, growing research underminging the usefulness, predicitive validity and fairness of the exams have grown school are increasing abandoning thes exams. FairTest has worked with graduate programs to help them reevaluate the utility of these standardized tests and revise their processes.

Graduate School Admission Testing

Major Graduate School Admissions Tests

For admissions to business school, law school, medical school and other graduate programs, universities have traditionally included the GMAT (MBA programs), LSAT (law school), MCAT (medical school), or GRE (other graduate programs). These test like the SAT and ACT have limited predicitive validity, are susceptable to score inflation through expensive coaching, and disadvantage low-income students, women, and under-represented minority groups. FairTest works to support institutions looking beyond test tests and efforts to find more effective ways to evaluate applicants.

GRE

The Graduate Record Examination is claimed to predict readiness for every graduate program from vetinary school to theology. FairTests has tracked and supported the GRExit movemenet that finds increasing numbers of graduate programs removing the requirement for a GRE score in the application process.

GMAT

The Graduate Management Admissions Test is used primarily as part of the admissions process to graduate business programs, most often MBAs and PhDs. Click here to learn more about the history of the test.

LSAT

The Law School Admission test until 2020 was required by the American Bar Association as a component of accreditated law school admission. In keeping with the trend at ever educational level, law schools are no longer required to utilize the LSAT and many schools are choosing other options.

MCAT

The Medical College Admission Test is owned by the Association of American Medical Colleges and required for admission to most accredited U.S. medical schools.

Featured Graduate School Admssions Testing Resources

FairTest has several fact sheets and resources listed below on Grad School admissions testing.

Resources