A new plan for ranking America’s best colleges is in the works, using written examinations completed by students following graduation.

The Council for Aid to Education has introduced a measurement tool in the form of a three-hour written test, according to the Washington Post. The three-part analysis focuses on critical thinking, analytic reasoning and written communication.

The test, called the Collegiate Learning Assessment, contains two open-ended thought questions. Students are given 90 minutes to complete each problem.

The U.S. News and World Report produces annual rankings of colleges across the nation. Some have questioned whether these rankings rely upon a university’s admissions standards rather than the quality of the education, the Washington Post reported.

A sample of the CLA was administered to 14 separate colleges of assorted sizes, using a total of 1,365 students. Computers tabulated the scores, which are compared to evaluations from human graders.

The test was designed to prompt college graduates to think for themselves and to analyze particular situations. Each test taker, provided with many sources of information, was expected to present written evidence of a true understanding of the data.

Assessment was based upon each individual’s ability to make a claim and effectively display critical thinking.

The ensuing results confirmed students who had graduated displayed better analytic reasoning than freshman students with comparable SAT scores. This suggests that veteran students used their college experience to grasp the information better.

The University of Wisconsin is not currently taking part in this particular study.

“We do something similar on the department levels around the university, but not this particular study,” said John Lucas, a University Relations Specialist for the UW Communications Department.

Some UW students have mixed feelings about the new study.

“There is no valid way to measure a general college education,” UW junior Dan Gundry said. “Each student takes certain classes to fulfill requirements, so there is no possibility of getting a general overview of the entire population.”

Gundry said he would consider participating in a study like the CLA after graduation.

Luke Behnke, also a UW junior, thinks the post-graduation test is a good idea.

“It is a much more comprehensive way to determine the merit of the school,” he said. Behnke, however, added that, “Although there are problems with standardized testing, I feel that may still be the better way to distinguish among students rather than an essay.”

So far the new test has received a mixed response, the Washington Post noted, because it is unknown whether the machine scoring system can accurately gage intellectual depth.

Michael Subkoviak, a UW higher education professional, shares this uncertainty.

“Different jobs have different requirements,” said Subkoviak, associate dean in the UW School of Education. “This makes a lot of sense for lots of jobs, but it wouldn’t tell how good of a computer programmer or an engineer you are going to be.”

Subkoviak said there is more to distinguish than can be calculated through an essay and there is no way to classify one’s numeric ability, or the capability of working in a team-oriented environment.

“It’s a valid piece of a very complex puzzle,” he added.