ABOLITION OF OLD PLAN OF ENTRANCE URGED IN REPORT

Based on the general reasoning that entrance examinations are an inadequate test of a man's ability, in that they test memory rather than ability to think or reason, the abandonment of the so-called "Old Plan" examinations is advocated in the latest report of the Overseers' committee on Harvard College. The committee in advocating the changing of the present system of admission also expresses the opinion "that the methods of testing applicants for admission should be diversified enough to make possible a check of one method by several others."

The portion of the report which refers to admission requirements reads as follows: "The old method of entrance was by examination and points. The disadvantages of this policy soon became obvious. Entrance requirements are an inadequate test and cover only one of many requisite things that the College wishes to know about an applicant. They test memory rather than ability to think or reason. They test knowledge and not appreciation. They encourage cramming... such examinations are not a true test of a boy's capacity to take the college course."

School Record Emphasized

After mentioning in what ways Harvard has led in revision of entrance requirement arrangements, the report treats the New Plan under which the importance of the examination is intended to grow less, more influence being placed on the school record, on quality, and on the capacity of the boy to do the work.

Concerning the examinations, the committee mentions the fundamental failing in an examination system, due to the fact that a large variance exists in the marking standards of various readers, despite the best of standardized systems of marking used by the College Entrance Board. Concerning even an exact a science as mathematics for example, the committee found that in "a study of markings of the algebra and geometry examinations of the College Entrance Examination Board revealed an amazing variance in the individual judgments of the different examiners. The correlation between random markings of the algebra examination was only .61.