Information for participants
About Unique
Unique was a five-year research project examining the use of an aptitude test (the SAT Reasoning TestTM ) in university entrance. The project was co-funded by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (previously the Department of Innovation, Universities and Skills), the Sutton Trust, the NFER and the College Board.
In the initial phase of the project, over 9000 students took the SAT® in autumn 2005. Of this original group, just over 8000 participants were matched to their A level results in 2006.The final phase of the UNIQUE project was completed in 2010 with the analysis of the degree classifications of approximately 2800 young people who had entered higher education (HE) in 2006 and graduated in 2009 after three-year degree courses. A further group of approximately 3800 participants were still studying within HE in 2009/10.
Key Findings
In an earlier phase of the project it was discovered that there was considerable variation in SAT® scores between HE applicants with similar A level attainment, particularly amongst high-achieving students. If students with high SAT® scores had generally achieved better degrees than those with low SAT® scores and vice versa, the SAT® might have been useful to HE admissions staff to help them differentiate between applicants with otherwise similar attainment.
An analysis of the degree outcomes showed that:
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In the absence of any other measures of prior attainment (GCSEs and A levels) the SAT® had some power to predict how students were likely to perform in HE but for students with GCSE and A levels results the SAT® added very little additional information. The SAT® would therefore not help university admissions departments to identify young people who would do well at university.
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There was no evidence that the SAT® provides sufficient information to identify students with the potential to benefit from HE whose ability is not adequately reflected in their prior attainment because of their disadvantaged circumstances.
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The SAT® did not distinguish helpfully between the most able applicants, for example those who had three or more A grades at A level. The SAT® added very little beyond the information already provided by students’ GCSE results.
However, these ‘negative’ findings are evidence-based and therefore just as important as ‘positive’ results may have been. It shows that it is not sufficient for an admissions test merely to differentiate between applicants in terms of test scores. Such differentiation is only helpful if the test scores help to predict undergraduate success; the use of any test or measure should be supported by evidence that it is a reliable and valid measure of HE performance.
Other findings
In addition to the key findings relating to the SAT®, other findings emerged about the relationships between attainment, background variables and HE participation and performance. Use the link below for details of these findings and the research reports.