An Investigation of the Use and Predictive Validity of Scores From the GRE ® revised General Test in a Singaporean University

International institutions have been increasingly using the GRE® revised General Test to admit students to graduate programs. However, little is known about how scores from the GRE revised General Test are used in the admission process outside of the United States and their validity in predicting graduate students' performance (e.g., their graduate school grade point averages [GGPAs]). As the GRE revised General Test was launched in August 2011, there is a compelling need to investigate its predictive validity, particularly in an international context. A large percentage of examinees who take the GRE revised General Test from outside of the United States are citizens of Asian countries. Consequently, we examined how scores from the GRE revised General Test predict a range of graduate student performance outcomes at a Singaporean institution that represents the highest caliber of academic excellence in Asian countries. We also interviewed key members of the admissions committees to understand how the GRE revised General Test and its individual sections are used in the admission process. Our analyses revealed that scores from the GRE revised General Test predicted GGPA and program standing. In particular, these scores showed incremental value beyond undergraduate GPA (UGPA) for predicting GGPA. Furthermore, among enrolled students, those who submitted scores from the GRE revised General Test in application had significantly higher GGPAs than those who did not. These findings largely apply to both doctoral and master's students.