Predictive ability of advanced certificate of secondary education results to first year university undergraduate studies: the case Study of Bachelor of Science with Education University of Dar es Salaam

The purpose of this study is to determine the significance contribution of form six points during the admission process, the predictive ability of form six combination points and sex towards the undergraduate performance. A sample of 168 students was used, these were student who completed same year in ordinary level education and same year of Advanced Certificate of Secondary Education Examination, and this was to increase the validity of data. A quantitative data analysis was conducted using Software Package for Statistical Science (SPSS) to analyze collected data using linear regression model. Findings indicated that student’s form six points had moderate predictive ability while some subject’s combinations showed strong predictive ability to undergraduate performance such as Geography, Chemistry and Biology (GCB) and Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics (PCM), there was a strong predictive ability of Females against Males students. This study, therefore, suggests to Tanzania University Commission (TCU) to conduct special reforms in aligning with the nature of admitted students based on their combination points and giving moderate priority to form six points which showed low predictive ability to undergraduate performances. The study was limited to 168 Bachelor of Science with education students; therefore it can extend to entire universities and other higher learning institutions in Tanzania.