The Consistency of High School Grade Point Average and of the Verbal and Mathematical Portions of the Scholastic Aptitude Test of the College Entrance Examination Board,as Predictors of College Performance: an Eight Year Study

Abstract

This study examined the validity of high school grade point average (GPA) and of the verbal (V) and mathematical (M) portions of the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) of the College Entrance Examination Board, as predictors of college performance over an eight year period. It was found that both multiple regression predictions involving use of all three of these variables in combination and predictions based upon high school GPA as a single predictor had consistently high correlations with four-year college GPA. These correlations evidenced little shrinkage when cross-validated over either one-year or five-year periods. Interestingly, it was found that the SAT scores added relatively little precision to the prediction equations for females, even though the inclusion of these scores was statistically significant.