The secondary school transition test has started.

The secondary school transition test has started.

From the school year 2023-2024 children in group 8 take the secondary school transition test. A important moment for pupils in group 8. From this week the digital secondary school transition test will be taken and on 4 and 5 February the written test will take place.

When does my child take the secondary school transition test?

The secondary school transition test can be taken in two ways, digital or written. Does your child take a digital secondary school transition test? Then that will be taken. If your child takes a written test, this is on 4 and 5 February.

What does the secondary school transition test test?

The secondary school transition test shows the level of your child in language, math and reading. The result also shows at what level a child would fit in secondary education according to the test.

If the result of the secondary school transition test is higher than the school advice, the advice will be adjusted. If your child scores lower on the secondary school transition test than the school advice, the school advice will remain.

The secondary school transition test in the news

The secondary school transition test has been under fire recently. There are several tests schools can choose from, causing doubt about the comparability of the results.

There are also concerns about the mandatory adjustment of the advice. This could cause children to fail too often in secondary school. On the other hand, this test is very important. We know that some children get too low school advice. This is called under advising.

Four schools in the Netherlands have announced that they will not offer the secondary school transition test this year. According to the Volkskrant, more schools are thinking about doing this too. This is a bad plan, says director of Ouders & Onderwijs, Lobke Vlaming: “The secondary school transition test is a legal right for every child and the law applies to everyone. Even if you do not agree with it.”

Vlaming gives several recommendations to schools, politics, and the inspection in her written article. “Schools, stay relaxed about the secondary school transition test and don’t let children train for it. Politics, go back to one secondary school transition test and inspection, think carefully about how you can measure quality in another, broader way.”

Questions?

Do you have questions about the school advice or the secondary school transition test? Please contact our advice point.