News item | 24-01-2024 | 1:00 pm
Between January 29 and February 18, approximately 170,000 students in group 8 will take the progression test for the first time. This test is taken earlier in the year, so that students can all register with secondary school at the same time with their final school advice. This happens in the last week of March. All students therefore have an equal chance of getting a place at the school of their preference. The provisional school advice must also be adjusted if it better suits the student based on the test.
The old final test
In previous years, the final test was taken in April or May. Students had already registered for secondary education with provisional school advice in their pocket. Depending on the result of the final test, the school advice could then be adjusted. If students had known this earlier, they would have had a fairer chance of getting into the school and school type of their preference.
Less pressure
Minister Paul: “Teachers have built up a bond with the students for eight years and know better than anyone which type of school suits them best. The test is a final check. If a student does better on the test than expected, the school is now obliged to adjust the advice. This can only be deviated from in the interests of the student.”
“I think it is important that secondary schools also continue to look at where a student stands and that secondary school students can also switch school types more easily. This way we put less pressure on our students and every child can develop at their own pace.”
About the provisional school advice
To ensure that students end up in a place at secondary school that suits them best, a primary school looks at what they have to offer. The teachers, internal supervisors and school leader use years of professional experience and observations. They look at a student’s development, based on data from the student monitoring system (LVS), for example, but also at social-emotional skills. This leads to provisional school advice, which students receive between January 10 and 31.
About the advice based on the advancement test
The progression test that a student then takes provides a final check on language and arithmetic skills and indicates which type of school best suits them. The individual performance of a student is central here. And how other students take the test that year does not influence the advice that the individual student receives.
If a student does better on the test than expected, the school is now obliged to adjust the school advice. Adjusting ‘down’ is never allowed. With the previous final test, the school was only obliged to reconsider the provisional school advice.
In this way, the new rules prevent a student from unintentionally receiving a school recommendation that is too low. This way, students who perform the same also get the same opportunities in further education.
Schools choose their own test
Schools choose from six progression tests permitted by the central government and whether they opt for a digital or paper version. The advancement test always takes a maximum of two half-days. For the digital test, the schools themselves choose on which day(s) they administer the progression test. The paper test must always be taken by all students at the same time to prevent questions and answers from leaking. The paper test will be taken on February 6 and 7.