A graduating college senior takes the GRE (Graduate Record Exam)and scores at the 95^th percentile.Six months later the senior retakes the exam after completing all undergraduate coursework and scores at the 89^th percentile.What (other than boring coursework)most likely accounts for the lowered score?

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Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Regression toward the mean is the phenomenon where extreme scores on a measure tend to move closer to the mean when the measure is repeated. In this case, the student's first score at the 95th percentile was likely an outlier, and their second score at the 89th percentile is closer to their true ability level. This is a common occurrence in testing and is not necessarily due to any external factor such as maturation, testing, or instrument decay.

A Graduating College Senior Takes the GRE (Graduate Record Exam)and