Determining the Constructs Measured by the High School Entrance Exam (LGS): A Study of Construct Validity

İsmail Karakaya; Gökhan Gümüş; Hanifi Özdemir

doi:10.21031/epod.1766429

Determining the Constructs Measured by the High School Entrance Exam (LGS): A Study of Construct Validity

Abstract

In many countries, various examinations are administered to assess the readiness of middle school students for high school admission. These exams aim to select students with the highest levels of knowledge and skills among a large pool of applicants for a limited number of elite schools. Although the implementation of such exams varies across countries, since 2018, Turkey has adopted a centralized examination system known as the High School Entrance Exam (LGS). The sustainability of these exams in line with their intended purposes depends on factors such as the examination process, test items, and instructions. However, it is not always possible to claim that the items used in these exams adequately reflect the intended constructs. Therefore, the present study aims to examine the construct validity of the LGS exams administered in Turkey in 2022, 2023, and 2024. To this end, a research sample of 32,400 students was randomly selected by the Ministry of National Education. Data from 10,800 students for each year (2022, 2023, and 2024) were analyzed. Due to the dichotomous (0–1) nature of the data, Tetrachoric Exploratory Factor Analysis (TEFA) was employed instead of traditional Exploratory Factor Analysis. The findings indicated that the explained variance rates for the 2022, 2023, and 2024 LGS exams were 42.8%, 47%, and 42.2%, respectively. Furthermore, the test items were found to load onto two distinct factors. Upon examining the content of these factors, it was determined that the first factor primarily consisted of items assessing reading comprehension skills, whereas the second factor included items that required the application of knowledge. The results suggest that the LGS exams administered in 2022, 2023, and 2024 predominantly consist of items measuring reading comprehension skills, and that these items account for the majority of the explained variance.

Keywords

Ethical Statement

It was found ethically appropriate by the decision numbered e966332c-4796-4c85-94a1-e5bb60304417 taken at the meeting of the Gazi University Ethics Commission dated July 8, 2025.

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Details

Primary Language

English

Subjects

Testing, Assessment and Psychometrics (Other)

Journal Section

Research Article

Authors

İsmail Karakaya ^*
0000-0003-4308-6919
Türkiye

Gökhan Gümüş
0000-0002-4161-0425
Türkiye

Hanifi Özdemir
0009-0005-4072-0197
Türkiye

Publication Date

December 31, 2025

Submission Date

August 16, 2025

Acceptance Date

December 25, 2025

Published in Issue

Year 2025 Volume: 16 Number: 4

DOI

https://doi.org/10.21031/epod.1766429

IZ

https://izlik.org/JA23LJ75NJ

Cite

RIS / Bibtex

APA

Karakaya, İ., Gümüş, G., & Özdemir, H. (2025). Determining the Constructs Measured by the High School Entrance Exam (LGS): A Study of Construct Validity. Journal of Measurement and Evaluation in Education and Psychology, 16(4), 283-297. https://doi.org/10.21031/epod.1766429

AMA

1.Karakaya İ, Gümüş G, Özdemir H. Determining the Constructs Measured by the High School Entrance Exam (LGS): A Study of Construct Validity. JMEEP. 2025;16(4):283-297. doi:10.21031/epod.1766429

Chicago

Karakaya, İsmail, Gökhan Gümüş, and Hanifi Özdemir. 2025. “Determining the Constructs Measured by the High School Entrance Exam (LGS): A Study of Construct Validity”. Journal of Measurement and Evaluation in Education and Psychology 16 (4): 283-97. https://doi.org/10.21031/epod.1766429.

EndNote

Karakaya İ, Gümüş G, Özdemir H (December 1, 2025) Determining the Constructs Measured by the High School Entrance Exam (LGS): A Study of Construct Validity. Journal of Measurement and Evaluation in Education and Psychology 16 4 283–297.

IEEE

[1]İ. Karakaya, G. Gümüş, and H. Özdemir, “Determining the Constructs Measured by the High School Entrance Exam (LGS): A Study of Construct Validity”, JMEEP, vol. 16, no. 4, pp. 283–297, Dec. 2025, doi: 10.21031/epod.1766429.

ISNAD

Karakaya, İsmail - Gümüş, Gökhan - Özdemir, Hanifi. “Determining the Constructs Measured by the High School Entrance Exam (LGS): A Study of Construct Validity”. Journal of Measurement and Evaluation in Education and Psychology 16/4 (December 1, 2025): 283-297. https://doi.org/10.21031/epod.1766429.

JAMA

1.Karakaya İ, Gümüş G, Özdemir H. Determining the Constructs Measured by the High School Entrance Exam (LGS): A Study of Construct Validity. JMEEP. 2025;16:283–297.

MLA

Karakaya, İsmail, et al. “Determining the Constructs Measured by the High School Entrance Exam (LGS): A Study of Construct Validity”. Journal of Measurement and Evaluation in Education and Psychology, vol. 16, no. 4, Dec. 2025, pp. 283-97, doi:10.21031/epod.1766429.

Vancouver

1.İsmail Karakaya, Gökhan Gümüş, Hanifi Özdemir. Determining the Constructs Measured by the High School Entrance Exam (LGS): A Study of Construct Validity. JMEEP. 2025 Dec. 1;16(4):283-97. doi:10.21031/epod.1766429