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The effect of commercial coaching on selection test performance
Barbara Griffin1, Sally Carless, Ian Wilson
1Department of Psychology, Macquarie University, Australia. Barbara.griffin@mq.edu.au
Medical Teacher
|December 12, 2012
Summary
Commercial coaching did not improve Undergraduate Medical and Health Sciences Admission Test (UMAT) scores for most students. However, high-ability students showed improved performance on non-verbal sections after coaching.
Area of Science:
- Medical Education Research
- Psychometric Assessment
Background:
- The Undergraduate Medical and Health Sciences Admission Test (UMAT) is a crucial admissions tool.
- The impact of commercial coaching on UMAT performance is a significant concern for test fairness and validity.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine if commercial coaching influences student performance on the UMAT.
- To analyze the effects of coaching across different UMAT sections and student ability levels.
Main Methods:
- A study involving 402 high school students applying for medicine analyzed UMAT scores.
- Statistical methods including t-tests and multiple regression controlled for academic performance, high school type, and gender.
Main Results:
- Over half of students (56.2%) utilized commercial coaching.
- Coaching showed no significant impact on UMAT Sections 1 or 2.
- UMAT Section 3 scores were higher for coached students, but only among high-ability individuals; lower-ability students experienced a slight negative effect.
Conclusions:
- Coaching's differential impact suggests high-ability students may learn test-specific strategies for non-verbal reasoning.
- The findings raise questions about UMAT fairness and validity.
- Academically selective schools may foster a culture of practice that influences scores.
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