Development and validation of a college admission test for a higher education institution in the Cordillera Administrative Region, Philippines

This study aimed to design a college admission test for a higher education institution in the Cordillera Administrative Region of the Philippines and to evaluate its psychometric properties. The initial version of the test included 120 items each for Verbal Reasoning and Numerical Ability, which were reviewed by experts and assessed for validity. After revisions, the final version contained 60 items for each area. The Item-Content Validity Index was 0.93, showing a high level of content validity. Reliability testing showed a coefficient of 0.80 for Verbal Reasoning and 0.65 for Numerical Ability, with an overall reliability of 0.76, indicating moderate but acceptable reliability. Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) confirmed that Verbal Reasoning had a three-factor structure, with all factor loadings above 0.40, supporting construct validity. Numerical Ability was found to represent a single factor, suggesting it measured one main ability. To check concurrent validity, the new test was given alongside the Otis-Lennon School Ability Test (OLSAT), and results showed strong positive correlations between similar subtests (r = .71, p < .01), supporting its criterion-related validity. Test norms were created using z-scores, IQ equivalents, and stanine scores. Overall, the findings show that the developed college admission test is a valid, reliable, and regionally appropriate tool for selecting incoming students.