Comparison of adult student performance on the General Educational Development Test and the Adult Performance Level Test

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to determine if there was a relationship between student performance on the GED Test and the APL Test and if variables of sex, age, employment status, highest grade level completed, number of months attended adult education, and ethnic origin had any effect upon the relationship. Ten sites conducting adult education programs in Texas were selected. The ten sites provided the researcher with demographic and test performance data on the 331 subject participating in the study. The subjects were adults interested in obtaining the GED equivalency certificate and who completed both the GED Test and the American College Testing APL Test. The data were treated statistically and based upon the results, the research hypotheses that there is no significant relationship between student performances on the GED Test and the APL Test, and on the basis of the number of months in adult education, and ethnic origin were rejected. The data analysis showed that the variables of age, sex, employment status, and highest grade completed in school had no effect upon the relationship of student performance on the two tests. From the results of this study, it was concluded that a significant relationship exists between student performance on the GED Test and the APL Test. The findings should encourage adult educators to make minor adjustments to the GED curriculum and enable students who pass the GED Test to perform adequately on the adult performance level of lifecoping skills type of test instrument.