The Test Sections
The Psychometric Entrance Test consists of eight sections. Each section begins with information about the number of questions in the section and the time allotted for answering them. Each section tests one of the following three areas – verbal reasoning, quantitative reasoning, and English. All sections consist of multiple-choice questions for which you must choose the response which best answers the question from among four alternatives.
The three areas test abilities necessary for successful academic performance:
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The verbal reasoning sections test verbal abilities that are used in all academic studies: vocabulary, logical thought processes, the ability to analyze and understand complex passages, and the ability to think clearly and methodically.
Explanations and examples - verbal reasoning |
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The quantitative reasoning sections test the ability to use numbers and mathematical concepts for solving quantitative problems, as well as the ability to analyze data presented in a variety of formats, such as tables or graphs. This section requires only basic mathematical knowledge (the material studied up to 9th - 10th grades in most Israeli high schools).
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The sections in each test area consist of several different types of questions. All questions of a given type appear together and are arranged in ascending order of difficulty, with the exception of reading comprehension questions (in the verbal reasoning and English sections), which are arranged according to the order in which the subject matter appears in the passage. The order in which the test sections in the three areas appear may vary from one test to another.
Only two test sections in each area are used for calculating your score. The sections not used for calculating your score serve two purposes:
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To equate tests administered on different dates:
Tests must be comparable in order to prevent scores being affected by differences in the levels of the examinees tested on different administration dates. In order to rank the scores of tests administered on different dates on the same scale, the test you take may contain a section which has already appeared on a previous test.
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To ensure the quality of the questions:
Before a question appears in a section that is used for scoring purposes, it undergoes various tests to ensure quality, that is, to ensure that it is fair and that it discriminates between examinees of higher ability and those of lower ability. Sections not used for scoring purposes may consist of questions that are at this quality-testing stage. Questions that pass statistical and other tests may appear in the future in sections used for scoring purposes, while poor questions are disqualified.
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The second sections of the test are constructed on the basis of information gleaned in this way. The sections not used for calculating the score are essential. They prevent distortion of scores which might be caused by differences between tests administered on different dates, and they ensure that the questions on the test are sound and fair. There is no way for examinees to distinguish between the sections used for scoring and the other sections. Therefore, for your own good, treat every section of the test with equal gravity. |
