Investigating the abilities measured in the Iranian university entrance exam (Konkur) for the experimental science group (1400)
Volume 19, Issue 68, Winter 2025, Pages 5-19
https://doi.org/10.22034/jiera.2025.525663.3324
Lida Ayoubi, Saba Safarian, Ebrahim Khodaie, Ali Moghadamzadeh
Abstract Objective: The National University Entrance Exam (Konkur) is designed to select students for admission to universities and higher education institutions in Iran. This study aims to identify and analyze the conceptual structure and latent abilities assessed in this exam, which play a critical role in ensuring accurate and fair student selection.
Method: This research employed a descriptive-correlational design. A random sample of 48,436 candidates from the Experimental Sciences track of the 2021 Konkur was selected. Data were analyzed using statistical techniques including Principal Component Analysis (PCA), Cluster Analysis, Multidimensional Scaling (MDS), and Structural Equation Modeling (SEM).
Results: The results revealed a structure of three abilities in the exam, consisting of general subjects, specialized subjects, and English as an independent ability. The structural equation model showed that general ability underpin the development of the other two abilities, and the relationships between these were statistically significant. English was also identified as a distinct domain.
Conclusions: The identified structure offers a coherent model of the abilities assessed by the exam, which can inform question design, score interpretation, and educational planning. The confirmation of the conceptual model provides theoretical and empirical support for understanding the exam's structure.