Multiple choice tests and institutional assessments can't replace faculty judgments of whether college graduates have acquired the skills necessary for the world of work, according to a national survey of employers.

The Association of American Colleges and Universities published the results of "How Should Colleges Assess and Improve Student Learning? Employers' Views on the Accountability Challenge." The survey was conducted by Peter D. Hart Research Associates, which interviewed 301 employers whose companies have at least 25 employees and who report that 25 percent or more of their new hires hold at least a bachelor's degree from a four-year college. The survey findings show that while employers believe that the majority of college graduates who apply for positions at their companies have the skills to succeed in entry-level positions, they are not as confident that graduates are prepared for promotion.
Among the key findings:

• Fifty-seven percent of employers think that half or fewer college graduates have the full set of skills and necessary knowledge for career advancement. Employers see gaps in global knowledge, self-direction, writing and critical-thinking skills.
• Employers prefer assessments that require students to demonstrate depth of knowledge, and problem-solving, writing and analytic reasoning abilities.
• Only 13 percent of employers find college transcripts useful in evaluating college graduates' potential to succeed in the workplace.

According to the survey, employers endorse the following approaches: faculty evaluations of internships or community-based learning; essay tests that measure students' problem-solving, writing and critical-thinking skills; electronic portfolios of students' work and faculty assessments of them; and faculty evaluations of comprehensive senior projects.