Marjorie Ragosta

Technical Characteristics of Postsecondary Admissions Tests for Handicapped Examinees: a Review of Research

This paper reviews the research on the technical adequacy of postsecondary admissions tests for handicapped examinees. First, the performance of disabled students relative to the general population is explored. Of the four disability groups discussed, the admissions test performance of learning-disabled students and of hearing impaired students appears most discrepant from the general test-taking population. Evidence relating to the validity and reliability of admissions tests for handicapped and nondisabled examinees is reviewed next. The results of this review suggest no dependable differences in validity or reliability across these populations. However, because the data on which this conclusion is based are so limited, further research is needed before the technical characteristics of admissions tests for handicapped examinees can be fully evaluated.