Abstract
This review study gives an overview of selected studies of the predictive validity of final secondary-school examinations and university entrance tests. Predictive validity is an important property of tests, expressing their capacity to predict future success.
University entrance test scores and secondary-school grade point average (GPA) are among the most frequently used predictors, and comparison of their influence is an often discussed topic. Although there exist several criteria for academic success, the most often applied outcome measures are first-year university GPA, successful progress to the second year, or successful completion of university degree.
The studies analyzed in the article are divided into categories according to their main goal, from studies focused on secondary-school examinations to studies of the predictive validity of university entrance tests. Another criterion for classification is the country of origin of the data.
A separate section is devoted to studies conducted in the Czech Republic. It clearly emerges from the studies that the use of both entrance test scores and secondary-school GPA as admission criteria are justified.
Both these parameters predict whether the student will be successful in studies and will obtain university degree, while the best results in terms of predictive power are usually achieved by the use of both parameters together.