The Italian veterinary medicine admission test: Analysis of student intake in the years 2007, 2008, and 2009, and of the test's relationship with students' academic careers

Abstract

The present paper analyzes the admission test administered to candidates to the veterinary medicine program in Italy for the academic years 2007-2008, 2008-2009, and 2009-2010 nationwide as well as the University of Pisa student intake from 2001-2002 through 2009-2010, comparing the relationship between the admission test and students' academic careers at Pisa. This paper finds that the Italian system of a locally enforced fixed intake number does not select the best possible candidates for admission because (1) there are significant variations in the candidates' preparation among the different locations where the test is held, (2) the subjects tested are not equally selective in identifying the best candidates, and (3) there is a very strong relationship between candidates' performance on the admission test and the subsequent academic career of the admitted candidates. In its findings, this study in part contradicts what is commonly believed by the Italian veterinary medicine community, and, as a result, it is extremely important that care is taken in the decision-making process-in the process, that is, of identifying a fixed intake number and of selecting the subjects to be tested on the admission test.