GED Candidate Computer Familiarity Survey - GED Testing Service

2006 Computer Familiarity 10
Table 2
Correlations Among Measures in GED® Candidate Computer Familiarity Survey
1 2 3 4 5
1. Computer comfort score − -.38** .08 -.22** -.18**
(536) (536) (533) (535)
2. Age − .04 .14* .20**
(539) (535) (537)
3. Highest grade completed − -.00 -.08
(535) (537)
4. Test format preference − .21**
(535)
5. Likelihood of testing −
Note. Sample sizes in parentheses. Test format preference (1 = computer, 2 =
paper); Likelihood of testing (1 = likely, 2 = unlikely)
* p < .005. ** p < .0001.
The computer comfort score accounted for the most variability in the variance of
test format preference. A decrease of 11 points (1 standard deviation) from the average
on the computer comfort score corresponded to being 1.6 times more likely to indicate a
preference for a paper-and-pencil-based GED test format, or nearly half (.6 times) as
likely to indicate a preference for a computer-based GED test format.
In addition to test format preference, the computer comfort score and age
accounted for the most variability in the variance of likelihood of testing if the GED
Tests had been available only in a computer-based format. A decrease of 11 points (1
standard deviation) from the average on the computer comfort score corresponded to
being twice as likely to indicate “It is unlikely that I would have taken the GED Tests” (if
offered only in a computer-based version), or half as likely to indicate “It is likely that I
would have taken the GED Tests” (if offered only in a computer-based version). An
increase of 15 years (approximately 1.5 standard deviations) from the average age
corresponded to being twice as likely to indicate “It is unlikely that I would have taken
the GED Tests” (if offered only in a computer-based version), or half as likely to indicate