Abstract

This chapter analyzes and summarizes the evidence regarding the university’s entry admissions evaluation that is part of the Unified Admissions System (SUA from the acronym in Spanish of Sistema Único de Admisión) established by the universities of the Council of Rectors in Chile. It summarizes the antecedents that led to the adoption of this test (PSU) in the early 2000s, aligning it to the secondary education curriculum. After indicating its main intended uses, we identify the most relevant forms of evidence for a test that primarily serves admission purposes. Results show that the tests have adequate reliability and that at least two of them (mathematics and science) have good predictive validity evidence when considering both academic performance and student’s persistence in tertiary education. The chapter concludes by identifying challenges for the future admission system that will be established based on the recent Higher Education Law in Chile, which, among other changes, transfers the admission system to the Ministry of Education.