THE RELATIONSHIP OF ESSAY AND MULTIPLE-CHOICE SCORES WITH GRADES IN COLLEGE COURSES

Essay and multiple-choice scores from Advanced Placement (AP) examinat ions in American History, European History, English Language and Compo sition, and Biology were matched with freshman grades in a sample of 3 2 colleges. Multiple-choice scores from the American History and Biolo gy examinations were more highly correlated with freshman grade point averages than were essay scores from the same examinations, but essay scores were essentially equivalent to multiple-choice scores in correl ations with course grades in history, English, and biology. In history courses, men and women received comparable grades and had nearly equa l scores on the AP essays, but the multiple-choice scores of men were nearly one half of a standard deviation higher than the scores of wome n.