Development of a Test for Common Major Competencies Based on Core Competencies of University – A Case Study of K University in Korea

This study aimed to derive the common elements of field-based major competencies that are required for all K University students, develop a diagnostic tool to measure them, and confirm the validity and reliability of the measurement questions. A Delphi survey was conducted to define the common elements of the major competencies to derive preliminary questions, and a preliminary and main survey was conducted to examine the quality of the developed questions. The study found that the common elements of basic major abilities were understanding of basic knowledge and data utilization ability, and the common elements of advanced major abilities were research experiment design and analysis ability, and practical ability. Items with high factor loadings were reduced to 14 basic and 14 advanced major ability related questions, and a reliability test was performed. The results of this study make it possible to derive the common elements of major competencies and provide students with information to develop their competencies. In addition, the results can be used to manage the performance indicators of universities effectively.