Abstract

The present contribution examines the psychometric properties, the validity and the reliability of the entrance examination for the enrolment in Psychology, at the local University. The test was partially modified in the course of the years, to assess the abilities of reasoning (verbal, numerical and abstract), beyond to the general knowledge. The reliability of the test is resulted not at all satisfactory. The analysis of the principal components supported a three factor solution. The test showed a moderate positive and significant correlation with some standardized tests of verbal ability. However, together with other indicators (final high school grade, age and scores in V.A.'95), it was lacking in predictive validity for the academic achievement of freshmen (number of exams and grade average), that was examined by means of multiple regression analysis and discriminant function analysis. The findings allow some critical considerations on the utility of university entrance examination for the prediction of the academic success.