ETS Developing New MCATs That Measure Practical Skills

At the urging of the Association of Medical Colleges, the Educational Testing Service (ETS) is currently developing an admissions test that will measure an applicant's problem solving skills and ability to relate to others.

Norman Frederikson, an ETS research psychologist who is working on the project, said yesterday the tests are "an attempt to measure characteristics which are not well measured at present."

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He added that to measure interpersonal skills, the test, which will be included in the present Medical College Admission Test (MCAT), will have each applicant interview a patient, and will rate the candidates on ability to communicate as well as the quality of the questions asked.

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To determine an applicant's problem solving ability, the test will present an applicant with the basic facts of a problem, and then analyze the correctness of the applicant's ideas and hypotheses as well as the organization of the analysis.

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Frederikson said that the problems will not necessarily be medically related. He added that ETS has not developed this concept into a multiple choice format.

Frederikson said that administering the new tests will increase the students' fee for MCATs at least $50 and could hinder their eventual adoption by medical school admission authorities.

Federal money could be used to subsidize the increased cost, Frederikson said. He added, however, "That would not be a very popular option."

He said that lower and middle income applicants would be hit hardest by the rising costs, at a time when applications from those income groups are already decreasing.

Dr. Oglesby Paul, dean of Admissions at Harvard Medical School, said yesterday that Harvard has sponsored and encouraged the research from the beginning, but has had no part in the actual study.

He added, "Any possible way of improving admissions is welcome--but you can't just leap at something because it's new."

Frederikson said that the initial ETS report on the new test will be released in about six months