Melissa K Boguslawski, David K Lohrmann, Catherine Sherwood-Laughlin, Suzanne Eckes, Andrea K Chomistek, Trent Applegate
Elementary School Personnel and Cultural Factors Affecting Health Education Implementation in the High-Stakes Testing Era
The Journal of school health
uk clinical aptitude test ukcat introduced 2006 additional tool selection medical students tests mental ability four distinct domains verbal reasoning quantitative reasoning abstract reasoning decision analysis results available students admission panels advance selection process first study showed little evidence predictive validity performance first two years nottingham undergraduate coursethe study objective determine whether ukcat scores predictive value later parts course largely delivered via clinical placements students entering course 2007 taken ukcat asked permission use anonymised data research ukcat scores incorporated database routine preadmission sociodemographics subsequent course performance data correlation analysis followed hierarchical multivariate linear regression original study group comprised 204254 80 full entry cohort attrition five years course fell 185 73 year 5 verbal reasoning score ukcat total score demonstrated univariate correlations clinical knowledge marks slightly less clinical skills parts ukcat proved independent predictor clinical course marks whereas prior attainment highly significant predictor p 0001 study one cohort nottingham medical students showed ukcat scores admission independently predict subsequent performance course whilst test adds another dimension selection process fairness validity selecting promising students remains unproven requires wider investigation debate schools