Abstract:

Aptitude tests for the assessment and selection of applicants are playing an increasingly important role for universities. Due to the growing number of high school graduates who are eligible for university admission and the increasing internationalization efforts of many globally-focused universities, degree programs are facing a considerable rise in the number of applicants.

In practice, however, the multi-stage procedures and processes used to select students are often very time-consuming and labour-intensive. During the initial selection stage, applications are closely reviewed to assess each applicant’s qualifications. In a further step, the successfully selected applicants, or at least those who are unclear, are tested for their level of knowledge and suitability in a personal interview. This process is also very common and widely used at the Technical University of Munich (TUM).

However, this approach is proving very difficult to scale. It is virtually impossible to quickly and thoroughly evaluate the diverse applications that come from all over the world (sometimes from several hundred applicants for a single program). In the case of countries that have not committed themselves to comparable academic standards within the framework of the Lisbon Convention, the situation is further complicated by the fact that the qualifications submitted, such as language certificates or existing degrees, are not always comparable in terms of quality. It is questionable how seriously these documents can be assessed in comparison to submissions from highly recognized higher education institutions. Similarly, it is difficult to conduct a hundred or more personal interviews with the selected candidates in order to gain a clear impression of their qualifications.

This is where digital online aptitude tests can be a fair and much more efficient alternative. Depending on the size of the cohort, applicants are supervised either by a human or by an automated system within the framework of a subject-specific digital online examination and can realistically demonstrate their academic qualifications in this examination scenario. Furthermore, by ensuring maximum anonymity during the examination, potential influencing factors are nearly eliminated, which may provide a significant advantage over subjective assessment in face-to-face interviews. The authentication and invigilation of the examinees ensure a reliable defense against academic dishonesty. Moreover, for question types that can be automatically assessed, the results are made available right after the examination, allowing the examinees to expect prompt notification regarding their eligibility or admission.

This article begins by providing a concise overview of current research that has been done on digital aptitude exams and the existing procedure for aptitude assessment at the TUM. It then proceeds to introduce the various digital aptitude exams that have been conducted since 2022. The focus is placed on highlighting the specific processes and practical aspects involved. Additionally, the article presents insights into the examination environment on the learning platform and explains the use of the necessary tools for invigilation. Finally, the article highlights the practical experiences obtained so far through the presentation of summarized evaluation results and the insights gained from them.

Keywords:

Digital aptitude testing, online testing, aptitude testing in higher education institutions.