Test of English as a foreign language as a moderator of Graduate Record Examination scores in the prediction of foreign students' grades in graduate school

Scores of foreign graduate students on the Graduate Record Examinations (GRE) Aptitude Tests and the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) were combined through multiple and moderated regression to predict grade-point average (GPA). It was hypothesized that TOEFL would moderate the relationship between the GRE scores and GPA. According to this hypothesis, students scoring high on TOEFL would be more predictable by GRE than those scoring low. The hypothesis was only partially supported by results. The results suggest that foreign students with low English verbal aptitude can succeed in American graduate schools. The limitations of GPA as a criterion of graduate school success for foreign students is discussed.