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GRE to begin personality assessment
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(AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)
The Educational Testing Service (ETS), which runs the Graduate Record Examinations, will soon offer a supplemental assessment for grad school applicants on personal characteristics that could factor into student success in advanced studies.
The online system, the Personal Potential Index (PPI), will ask faculty, identified by the student, to complete a 24 question survey ranking the learner on a 1-5 scale for characteristics like communication skills and teamwork as well as attributes like "produces novel ideas," "meets deadlines," "works well under stress" and "is worthy of trust from others." Patrick Kyllonen, an ETS research official who helped develop the new personality rating tool stated in a recent LA Times article (Gordon, 6/22/09), “We are hoping this will go a long way to capture some of those qualities."
The program, introduced to GRE test takers next month, allows applicants to identify the professors who could evaluate them. ETS will ask the faculty members to fill out the online evaluations and add written comments. ETS says this new index is not to replace recommendation letters, but it will provide standardization.
Questions abound regarding this newly announced program and the validity of indexing such intangibles. What about students who are in large classes and do not benefit from small classes? Does this benefit those who attend smaller, more elite schools? What happens if professors do not participate? What if a student is portrayed incorrectly; is there an appeal process? Does this system adequately address the non-traditional student who may have to limit some participation because of work, family, or other commitments?
David Payne, ETS vice president for college and graduate programs, was not sure if any schools would require the new ratings in the coming term. Payne, however, did express hope that it would become widespread after a year. He also hopes that it becomes popular among undergraduates and could possibly affect their behaviors. It is this type of statement that leads to many questioning the motivations of the ETS with regard to this new assessment that adds $20 per report. It would appear to some yet another way in which education is not about authentic learning, but testing or ‘indexing’ well.
For more information on the GRE, check out:
Unemployed can take the GRE for half price
What is the GRE? Part I: General test
What is the GRE? Part II: Subject tests
Janelle Jalbert is the founder of Edusistance and the creator of the Race to College Success program. She has been an educator and advisor for more than a decade. You can reach Janelle, who welcomes suggestions for topics of interest for future articles, via email.
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