Student selection into initial teacher education in Finland: Predicting performance on the university entrance exam (VAKAVA) based on logical reasoning ability

• Confirmation that ICAR16 comprises four factors consisting of four item types. • Cross-validation done with a sample of applicants to initial teacher education. • Verbal Reasoning was the easiest item type, and Three-Dimensional Rotation was the most difficult item type. • Initial teacher education applicants’ logical reasoning abilities account for approximately 29 % of their performance in their university entrance exam. This study examines the association between applicants’ success in the 2021 university entrance exam for initial teacher education in Finland, known as the VAKAVA exam, and their logical reasoning abilities to provide evidence of criterion-related validity. The data consists of applicants’ scores on the VAKAVA exam, which reflect their cognitive processing skills, and the abbreviated International Cognitive Ability Resource test (ICAR16; N = 403). The ICAR16 is a short multiple-choice assessment including four scales that estimate the cognitive skills of fluid reasoning and visual-spatial reasoning. The findings supported the proposed four-factor structure of the ICAR16 in the examined sample. However, the second-order factor, which was interpreted to encompass general logical reasoning ability measured by the ICAR16, was used in further statistical analysis. The results indicated that ITE applicants’ logical reasoning abilities accounted for approximately 29% of their performance on the VAKAVA exam. These findings contribute to the literature on the validity of measures for student selection in teacher education programs.