The Effect of Coaching on the Predictive Validity of Scholastic Aptitude Tests

Abstract

The present study was designed to examine whether coaching affects the predictive validity and fairness of scholastic aptitude tests. Two randomly allocated groups, coached and uncoached, were compared, and the results revealed that although coaching enhanced scores on the Israeli Psychometric Entrance Test by about 25% of a standard deviation, it did not affect predictive validity and did not create a prediction bias. These results refute claims that coaching reduces predictive validity and creates a bias against the uncoached examinees in predicting the criterion. The results are consistent with the idea that score improvement due to coaching does not result strictly from learning specific skills that are irrelevant to the criterion.