RANKING UNIVERSITIES BY PRE-EMPLOYMENT TEST SCORES

Memo to parents, note to employers and a guide to the new Government - By Baba Ikazoboh (2015)

Quality of education can impact the type of job you get, hence many pursue good quality education.
Precisely how we measure ‘quality’ and therefore rank institutions by their ‘quality’ thus becomes an
interesting pursuit in itself. There are several global ranking templates and an excellent source of
knowledge on university ranking can be found if you read “History, Type and Current Status of University
Ranking – by Peter Okebukola, OFR”. It has all you need to know about university ranking.

Ranking Universities by Pre-Employment Aptitude Test Scores

In 2014, we looked at test scores of over 800,000 Nigerian graduates that had sat a standardized preemployment aptitude test up to the end of 2013, identifying batches that sat the test under near identical
conditions. We used most of our Computer Based Test Centers in the 22 States where we had presence,
and set the minimum pool size at 200 candidates. (This means that if we only have 1-199 candidates tested
from your institution, then that institution will not appear in the table because we classed that as
“insufficient data”).

What the Pre-Employment Aptitude Test Measures

We measured 3 domains, Verbal Reasoning, Numerical Reasoning and Abstract Reasoning. Through these
3 domains we are able to identify basic requirements for workplace performance and by so doing, we say
that the test has suitable ‘construct validity’ to predict workplace performance.

The Verbal Reasoning Test measures the ability to rapidly extract relevant information from written
sources and make an objective judgment on the basis of that information. It provides an indication of how
the person will perform when working with relatively complex written information such as reports,
correspondence and research information.

The Numerical Reasoning Test measures the ability to deal with numerical information in a variety
of formats. When assessing aptitude, this test provides an indication of how a person will perform when
working with numbers, tables, bar charts, records, inventories, analysis reports and other forms of data.

Abstract Reasoning Test measures the ability to acquire and assimilate new concepts and ideas within
existing knowledge. When assessing aptitude, the abstract reasoning test provides an indication of how a
person will perform when required to take on board new concepts or generate ideas using existing
information. This form of reasoning is often referred to as “fluid intelligence” or “inductive insight”.

Using the test scores: why it matters

People attend tertiary institutions to learn, but hope the learning puts them in a competitive position for
employment (including self-employment). As such if the pre-employment tests have become a
meritocratic method for objectively screening from these large pools of job-seeking graduates, then
performance in such a tests, starts to become significant.

DRAGNET 2014 UNIVERSITIES RANKINGDRAGNET RANK INSTITUTION NUMBER TESTED

1. COVENANT UNIVERSITY - 1248
2. UNIVERSITY OF AGRICULTURE ABEOKUTA - 691
3. OBAFEMI AWOLOWO UNI. - 2047
4. FED UNI. OF TECH OWERRI - 914
5. FED. UNI. OF TECH AKURE - 478
6. UNIVERSITY OF LAGOS - 2480
7. BOWEN UNIVERSITY - 709
8. UNIVERSITY OF IBADAN - 1489
9. BABCOCK UNIVERSITY - 886
10. LADOKE AKINTOLA UNIVERSITY OF SCI. AND TECH. - 1638
11. IGBINEDION UNIVERSITY - 251
12. UNIVERSITY OF BENIN - 3016
13. MICHAEL OKPARA UNI. OF AGRIC - 242
14. FED. POLY OWERRI - 811
15. MADONNA UNIVERSITY - 856
16. OLABISI ONABANJO - 2574
17. UNIVERSITY OF PORTHARCOURT - 886
18. NNAMDI AZIKIWE UNI. - 1843
19. FED. UNI. OF TECH MINNA - 1398
20. FED UNI OF AGRIC MAKURDI - 205
21. BENSON IDAHOSA UNIVERSITY - 215
22. LEAD CITY UNIVERSITY - 367
23. LAGOS STATE UNI - 1647
24. ANAMBRA STATE UNIVERSITY - 630
25. UNIVERSITY OF NIGERIA NSUKKA - 2507
26. UNILORIN - 2794
27. ADEKUNLE AJASIN UNIVERSITY - 762
28. UNIVERSITY OF ADO-EKITI - 2418
29. YABA COLLEGE OF TECH - 248
30. IMO STATE UNIVERSITY - 335
31. UNIVERSITY OF UYO - 693
32. TAI SOLARIN UNI OF EDU - 350
33. FED UNI OF TECH YOLA - 497
34. DELTA STATE UNIVERSITY - 1201
35. ABUBAKAR TAFAWA BALEWA UUNIVERSITY - 613
36. ABIA STATE UNIVERSITY - 1152
37. AHMADU BELLO UNIVERSITY - 4103
38. UNIABUJA - 1497
39. UNIVERSITY OF JOS - 1456
40. BAYERO UNIVERSITY, KANO - 2599
NOTE:
Eventual pool size of tests taken under identical conditions was approximately 80,000 candidates.
Baba Ikazoboh is a Director at Dragnet Solutions Ltd. Dragnet Solutions are technology partners to the National Directorate of Employment (under the Federal Ministry of Labour) and the Nigerian Employers Consultative Association, on ‘GradExchange’ (a Graduate recruitment portal).
Dragnet Solutions also provide computer based testing support to the National Youth Service Corps (SAED) on the NYSCjobs.org graduate recruitment portal. In 2014, the company signed an agreement with the National Examination Council of Nigeria to collaborate on aptitude testing. Dragnet Solutions are also in collaboration with the National Universities Commission for the establishment of a ‘Careers Club’ in tertiary institutions.