New test measures: college students await a new standardized test

University Business, Dec, 2004

As if studying for the GRE or LSAT wasn't enough, now college students are being asked to take another exam: the ICT Literacy Assessment. Designed to measure their computer literacy, the test evaluates students' ability to build a spreadsheet, compose e-mail messages, and conduct basic research. The test was developed by ETS, which will be distributing the exam to about 7,000 to 10,000 students this January.

The purpose of the exam is to "bridge the digital divide," says Teresa Egan, project leader for new-product development at ETS. "There has been great effort to ensure that every college student has access to technology. But it has become apparent that just having technology isn't enough. They need to be able to use it and communicate with it." Different institutions plan on using the exam differently. Some will test incoming freshman as a way to gage their computer smarts; others will test college seniors as a way to gage their marketability in the workforce.