Major Field Test for Master of Business Administration
The Major Field Test for Master of Business Administration (MFT-MBA) is a national standardized exam administered in the United States at the end of MBA programs. It is a comprehensive exit exam. The MFT-MBA aims to assess skills, knowledge, and reasoning ability within the domain of standard MBA curriculum.{{cite web |url=http://www.ets.org/s/mft/pdf/mft_mba_flyer.pdf |title=MFT MBA Flyer |publisher=Educational Testing Service |accessdate=November 2, 2014 |archive-date=July 5, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110705102904/http://www.ets.org/s/mft/pdf/mft_mba_flyer.pdf |url-status=dead }} It is administered by Educational Testing Service (ETS) and has been used in the MBA programs of over 300 U.S. universities.{{cite web|url=http://www.ets.org/s/mft/pdf/acdg_mba.pdf |title=2013 Major Field Test Comparative Data Guide: Major Field Test for Master of Business Administration (MBA) |publisher=Educational Testing Service |accessdate=November 2, 2014 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140122194137/http://www.ets.org/s/mft/pdf/acdg_mba.pdf |archivedate=January 22, 2014 }}
History
Most MBA programs require an exit exam to gauge students' comprehensive competency in the field of business management.{{cite book| last =Phelan| first =James| title =The Major Field Test (MFT) for MBA Study Guide| publisher =Practical Application Publications| date =2014| location =Charleston, SC| isbn =978-0-9779773-5-2}} The MFT-MBA began being offered in 2002. It was developed nationally by leading educators to assess the skills of graduating MBA students.{{cite news| last = Hays Post staff| title = FHSU MBA students bring in top scores on national MFT exam| newspaper = Hays Post| location = Fort Hays| date = May 16, 2015| url = http://www.hayspost.com/2015/05/16/fhsu-mba-students-bring-in-top-scores-on-national-mft-exam/| accessdate = October 4, 2015| archive-date = May 31, 2015| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150531054750/http://www.hayspost.com/2015/05/16/fhsu-mba-students-bring-in-top-scores-on-national-mft-exam/| url-status = bot: unknown}} It is also used as a tool to compare business programs across the United States.{{cite news| last = Ingle| first = John| title = Midwestern State University on affordable list| newspaper = Times Record News| location = Wichita Falls| publisher = Journal Media Group| date = August 28, 2014| url = http://www.timesrecordnews.com/business/msu-on-affordable-list_23258473| accessdate = October 4, 2015| archive-date = August 31, 2014| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140831024458/http://www.timesrecordnews.com/business/msu-on-affordable-list_23258473| url-status = bot: unknown}} ETS issues an updated test every 3–4 years in attempt to ensure high content validity. The most recent test forms are 4BMF (February 2005 - June 2009), 4FMF (September 2009 - June 2013), and 4JMF (September 2013 – present).{{cite web|url=https://www.ets.org/Media/Tests/MFT/pdf/MFT%20PDFs%202007/MBA4BMF.pdf |title=MBA 4BMF |publisher=Educational Testing Service |accessdate=November 2, 2014 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20100706064126/https://www.ets.org/Media/Tests/MFT/pdf/MFT%20PDFs%202007/MBA4BMF.pdf |archivedate=July 6, 2010 }}{{cite web |url=http://www.ets.org/s/mft/pdf/acdg_mba.pdf |title=2015 Major Field Test Comparative Data Guide: Major Field Test for Master of Business Administration (MBA) |publisher=Educational Testing Service |accessdate=August 2, 2015 |archive-date=January 22, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140122194137/http://www.ets.org/s/mft/pdf/acdg_mba.pdf |url-status=dead }}
Content
The MFT-MBA is based on MBA core curriculum. Unlike tests that are not aligned to anything but their own curriculum, the MFT-MBA emphasizes content validity. In order to display normativity and ensure a consensus of what best reflects core curriculum, the content is constructed using results of a national curriculum survey. According to ETS, content experts from a diverse representation of higher education institutions (including Major Field Test users and nonusers) participate in this survey.{{cite web |url=http://www.ets.org/mft/about/content/ |title=Test Content Overview |publisher=Educational Testing Service |accessdate=November 2, 2014}} Basing the exam on core curriculum makes it a level playing field exam, giving it meaningful results and enabling it to measure reasoning ability.{{cite web |url=http://www.t10mba.com/admission |title=Membership Admission Requirements |publisher=T10 |accessdate=November 2, 2014}}
The test contains 124 multiple-choice questions. There are approximately 32 management questions, 31 marketing questions, 33 finance questions, and 28 managerial accounting questions. Half of the questions require the strategic integration of two or more subject areas. In addition to factual knowledge, the test evaluates the student's abilities to interpret materials, understand relationships, and analyze and solve problems.
The Major Field Test for MBA can only be taken once. The amount of time allotted for taking the test is three hours. It is taken on a computer. All exams are given at proctored facilities. Test takers are provided with scratch paper and pencils, but calculators are not permitted. All test questions present four answer options to choose from, only one of which is correct.
Scoring
| class="wikitable floatright" border="1" style="text-align:center; margin-left:1em; margin-right:0" |
| Percentile
! Score |
|---|
| 99
| 284 |
| 91
| 271 |
| 80
| 264 |
| 70
| 258 |
| 62
| 254 |
| 50
| 249 |
| 42
| 245 |
| 31
| 239 |
| 20
| 233 |
| 10
| 227 |
A national scoring guide is issued annually. Scores range from 220-300. According to ETS, the overall scaled score on the MFT-MBA measures critical thinking and reasoning within the domain of standard MBA curriculum. The chart on the right provides a scoring summary at approximately every 10th percentile.
Form 4BMF was last used in 2009 making the 2009 scoring guide 4BMF's last scoring guide. Form 4FMF was last used in 2013 making the 2013 scoring guide 4FMF's last scoring guide. The 2015 scoring guide is the most up to date guide for 4JMF (the current test form).
Recognition of top performers
Several universities such as Rutgers, LSU, and the University of Nebraska at Omaha give awards to recognize their students whom received top scores on the MFT-MBA.{{cite web |url=http://catalogs.rutgers.edu/generated/rbs_0507/pg4508.html |title=Awards for Graduating Students |publisher=Rutgers |accessdate=November 2, 2014}}{{cite web |url=http://business.lsu.edu/news/releases/Pages/2012/05/LSU-Flores-MBA-Program-Holds-Honors-Banquet.aspx |title=LSU Flores MBA Program Holds Honors Banquet |publisher=LSU |date=May 4, 2012 |accessdate=November 2, 2014}}{{cite web |url=http://www.unomaha.edu/college-of-business-administration/mba/news/mft-article.php |title=Eleven MBA Graduates Receive UNO Distinguished MBA Scholar Award |publisher=University of Nebraska, Omaha |date=May 22, 2014 |accessdate=November 2, 2014}} The honors society [https://www.t10mba.com/about T10] uses the MFT-MBA to recognize the top 10% of MBAs in the United States.
Use by accreditation bodies
The MFT-MBA and similar tests are used by business school accreditation bodies such as the International Assembly for Collegiate Business Education (IACBE), the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB), and the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP) to satisfy their assessment and accountability requirements.{{cite web |url=https://iacbe.org/oa-learning-measures.asp |title=Student Learning Assessment Measures |publisher=IACBE |accessdate=November 2, 2014 |archive-date=October 21, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151021030810/https://iacbe.org/oa-learning-measures.asp |url-status=dead }}{{cite web |url=https://iacbe.org/doc/new-program-accreditation-manual.doc |title=New Program Accreditation Manual |publisher=IACBE |accessdate=November 2, 2014 |archive-date=December 24, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141224103730/https://iacbe.org/doc/new-program-accreditation-manual.doc |url-status=dead }}{{cite web |url=http://www.smu.ca/academics/sobey/mba-cma-scores-high-on-major-field-test.html |title=Sobey School's final MBA-CMA class demonstrates program excellence on standardized test |publisher=SMU |accessdate=August 2, 2015 |url-status=bot: unknown |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150316003118/http://www.smu.ca/academics/sobey/mba-cma-scores-high-on-major-field-test.html |archivedate=March 16, 2015 }}{{cite web |url=http://www.washburn.edu/academics/college-schools/business/honors-awards/field-test.html |title=Major Field Test |publisher=Washburn |accessdate=August 2, 2015 |url-status=bot: unknown |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150307165151/http://www.washburn.edu/academics/college-schools/business/honors-awards/field-test.html |archivedate=March 7, 2015 }}{{cite web |url=http://c.ymcdn.com/sites/www.acbsp.org/resource/collection/EB5F486D-441E-4156-9991-00D6C3A44ED1/ACBSP_Standards_and_Criteria_-_Bacc-Grad.pdf |title=ACBSP Standards and Criteria for Demonstrating Excellence in Baccalaureate/Graduate Degree Schools and Programs |publisher=ACBSP |accessdate=September 18, 2017 |archive-date=September 6, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150906121423/http://c.ymcdn.com/sites/www.acbsp.org/resource/collection/EB5F486D-441E-4156-9991-00D6C3A44ED1/ACBSP_Standards_and_Criteria_-_Bacc-Grad.pdf |url-status=bot: unknown }}