Performance Differences According to Test Mode and Computer Familiarity on a Practice GRE

Ideally, test performance is unrelated to the mode under which one administers the test. This study investigated relationships between test mode (paper-and-pencil vs. computerized-with-editorial-control, and computerized-without-editorial-control) and computer familiarity (lower, moderate, and higher) with test performance on the Graduate Record Exam (GRE). The GRE test was administered to 222 undergraduate students who were stratified by gender, then randomly assigned to a test mode group. With self-reported GPA as a covariate in a MANCOVA, the authors found that examinees in the paper-and-pencil group outperformed the computerized-without-editorial-control group on all subtests. The computerized-with-editorial-control group outperformed the computerized-without-editorial-control group on the Analytical subtest only. The authors also found a significant main effect for computer familiarity on the Analytical and Quantitative subtests. A significant interaction between computer familiarity and test mode on the Quantitative subtest confounded the main effect for that subtest. The subtests were dramatically more speeded in the computerized forms. Results emphasize the importance of evaluating time constraints when converting exams from paper-and-pencil to computer-delivery.