The College of Business uses the Educational Testing Service (ETS) Common Body of Knowledge (CBK) Major Field Test to assess all business majors during their senior year. This exam is designed to measure students' broad business subject knowledge and their ability to apply concepts, theories, facts, and analytical methods. The expectation (benchmark) for student performance as set by the College of Business is that students will "perform above the national norm (50th percentile) in each subject area." Since exam scores have not exceeded this target in every subject, as shown in Table 20, the benchmark (minimum threshold) remains at the 50th percentile, the current national norm.
Table 20*. ETS Common Body of Knowledge Major Field Test Exam Pass Rates among five cohorts of students at Georgia College (Spring 2022)
*The ETS updated their exam in Spring 2022. The new version of the ETS exam in Spring 2022 differs from the old version in Fall 2021 with different exam questions. So, the ETS cannot combine the two test results into one report for 2022-2023
| +/- | Field Test Subject | Spring 2022 | 2023-24 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Accounting | 40 | 41 | |
| Economics | 52 | 53 | |
| Management | 61 | 62 | |
| Quantitative Business Analysis | 37 | 38 | |
| Finance | 40 | 39 | |
| Marketing | 59 | 55 | |
| Legal and Social | 56 | 54 | |
| Information Systems | 43 | 44 | |
| International Issues | 48 | 45 |
Table 20. ETS Common Body of Knowledge Major Field Test Exam Pass Rates among five cohorts of students at Georgia College (AY14-AY22)
| +/- | Field Test Subject | 2013-14 | 2014-15 | 2015-16 | 2016-17 | 2017-18 | 2018-19 | 2019-20 | 2020-21 | Fall 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Accounting | 43 | 43 | 44 | 44 | 48 | 47 | 48 | 44 | 46 | |
| Economics | 45 | 46 | 45 | 43 | 45 | 42 | 45 | 43 | 42 | |
| Management | 62 | 62 | 62 | 63 | 69 | 69 | 69 | 67 | 66 | |
| Quantitative Business Analysis | 42 | 42 | 42 | 38 | 40 | 41 | 41 | 38 | 37 | |
| Finance | 42 | 41 | 40 | 39 | 43 | 43 | 43 | 40 | 41 | |
| Marketing | 61 | 58 | 61 | 52 | 59 | 59 | 57 | 58 | 55 | |
| Legal and Social | 65 | 64 | 63 | 49 | 49 | 50 | 52 | 49 | 49 | |
| Information Systems | 58 | 57 | 55 | 58 | 52 | 52 | 52 | 54 | 53 | |
| International Issues | 47 | 46 | 46 | 44 | 44 | 42 | 42 | 41 | 43 |
Students take the ETS major field test in economics, a nationally standardized test of economic knowledge, during their Senior Seminar. The test is offered each spring semester. Students' mean score for total economics and sub-scores on the micro- and macroeconomic components of the exam are compared to those of students at other universities also taking the exam. The Department of Economics set a benchmark for student performance on the exam at or above the 50th percentile on each component measured. Department faculty agreed that a further goal of achieving outcomes in the upper-50th percentile among universities administering the ETS exam is also desirable given the academic reputations of these universities. Also, this level of achievement is indicative of high performing economics students that exceed nationwide performance standards.
Data demonstrate that annually, GCSU students continue to meet the benchmark set by the department, scoring in the upper-50th percentile (minimum threshold) on two of the three components of the exam total score and the microeconomics sub-score. While the score on the macroeconomics sub-test has not been met each year, it has increased considerably since the first administration of the exam in 2008-2009.
Table 21. ETS Economics Major Field Exam Pass Rates among five cohorts of students at Georgia College (AY 2015-16 through AY 2020-21)
| +/- | ETS Exam Results | Percent scoring 50th percentile or higher | ETS Exam Results | Percent scoring 50th percentile or higher | ETS Exam Results | Percent scoring 50th percentile or higher | ETS Exam Results | Percent scoring 50th percentile or higher | ETS Exam Results | Percent scoring 50th percentile or higher | ETS Exam Results | Percent scoring 50th percentile or higher | ETS Exam Results | Percent scoring 50th percentile or higher | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015-16 | 2015-16 | 2016-17 | 2016-17 | 2017-18 | 2017-18 | 2018-19 | 2018-19 | 2019-20 | 2019-20 | 2020-21 | 2020-21 | 2021-22 | 2021-22 | ||
| Total Score | 162 | 81 | 159 | 70 | 161 | 83 | 162 | 86 | 160 | 78 | 163 | 90 | 163 | ||
| Micro Sub-score | 62 | 81 | 61 | 77 | 62 | 86 | 65 | 92 | 61 | 85 | 62 | 90 | |||
| Macro Sub-score | 57 | 66 | 53 | 48 | 55 | 60 | 57 | 70 | 58 | 75 | 61 | 87 |