ABSTRACT
IN the case of university students the problems of selection and guidance are perhaps more distinct than they are for any other group of workers that has been tested. On account of the two facts, that the accommodation is limited, and that any one with ability below a certain minimum is not likely to benefit by a university education, selection becomes a very important problem. The university entrance examinations give a rough gauge of the information that the individual has acquired in a number of subjects, and this is to some considerable degree a real measure of his ability. The weakness of such examinations for the purposes of selection comes from two sources. In the first place, students of good ability who have had a poor schooling are at an unfair disadvantage; in the second place, some schools develop a highly efficient cramming technique that enables them to foist upon the universities students who are not fitted to benefit by a university course. For these reasons it is desirable to have a psychological test of intelligence as an aid to selection. It does not seem desirable that this should take the place of the test of knowledge, but the two should be taken into account. All those who stand high in the test of knowledge may be accepted without question. All those who stand high on the test of intelligence may be accepted provided that they do not show such a lack of knowledge as would suggest slackness and a lack of the other “moral” qualities that are essential for success. In choosing candidates from amongst the remainder, who do not distinguish themselves in either the knowledge or the intelligence tests, the results of the two must be considered in conjunction—if there is little to choose between two candidates from the point of view of their results in the knowledge examination, the one who is better on the test of ability should be chosen.
