Due to an error by Alkwin Kollege in Uithoorn, none of the 69 economics exam candidates will be told tomorrow that they have obtained an 8, 9 or 10 for that exam. Because the error deducts up to 2.3 points from the exam grade, a 7.7 is the highest achievable grade.
The error can be traced back to a so-called CITO try-out in 2021, school director Nelleke Pedroli tells NH. In that year, a small group of 5 havo students and teachers from the Alkwin Kollege participated in a session of the CITO (Central Institute for Test Development) in which, among other things, the degree of difficulty of possible exam questions was tested.
Students and teachers involved were not allowed to talk about the questions in question and the school was not allowed to use the questions in question. The latter has happened. “We wouldn’t do anything with the question anymore,” said Pedroli, “but the question was used in a school exam in March.” Because the CITO had processed the same question in the national exam this year, the students therefore had prior knowledge.
Maximum 13 points less
After the error came to light, the school reported the ‘irregularity’ to the Education Inspectorate. It has decided that the exam candidates cannot receive any points for the relevant question due to prior knowledge. “In total there were 57 points to be obtained, 13 of which were for this question,” said director Pedroli.
Because a maximum of 44 points can be awarded by deleting the question, the highest achievable mark is 7.7. But because exam candidates could also have received less than 13 points for the question based on their answer, it is expected that many exam candidates will have less than 2.3 points deducted from their exam result.
“We deeply regret the mistake,” said Pedroli, who emphasized once again that the decision to delete the question was taken by the education inspectorate. “We sincerely apologize to our students for the inconvenience and additional stress caused by our mistake,” the school said in a statement. on its website.
All 69 exam candidates will be given a choice tomorrow – when they receive their exam results – either to accept the exam result, or to have the exam declared invalid. Those who choose the latter will be offered a new exam on 26 June – without the relevant question. And even if they make use of it, they retain the right to a resit, Pedroli emphasises.
Free exam training
To prevent the exam candidates from experiencing extra stress during their exam period as a result of the error, the school admitted the error to the students after the last exam. “They are all at home now, but it has caused some unrest and stress for some.” Students who need it can contact a care team of the school. “And we offer students who want to retake the exam free exam training.”