Saved by the biodata: Meta-analytic relationships between biodata scores and student success

Biodata inventories are standardized questionnaires about a person's history (past behaviors and events in one's life). They are among the most predictive pre-employment assessment methods to hire job applicants, and their use extends beyond just in work settings. Biodata inventories have also been used for high stakes school admissions, and if strongly related to school success, may be useful measures to supplement other assessment methods within larger admissions programs. However, there are limits to knowledge regarding the criterion-related validity of biodata scores. This study examined the validity of biodata inventory scores in the prediction of school success according to two major moderators: scoring method (e.g., rational, or empirical) and construct domain. Isolating to studies that met strict requirements for inclusion, there were a total of 38 independent effects of the relationship between biodata scores and school success (grade point average or teaching ratings). Results showed that the relationship between biodata inventory scores and academic success was strong, with an average validity coefficient of 0.45 for academic achievement scales. Furthermore, validity varied as a function of scoring method. Empirical biodata scores correlated 0.50 with school success, whereas validity was .26 when rationally scored. These results make empirically scored biodata one of the most predictive admissions tools available, exceeding even the validity of grade point average and standardized test scores. Given these findings, biodata inventories should be more frequently considered for use as supplementary additions to existing admissions procedures, though as we discuss, there may be challenges to implementation in applicant settings.