Student performance in econometrics : do prerequisites matter?

This paper investigates the significance of prerequisites in the overall success and performance of students in a second year Econometrics unit known as Economic Modelling (EM). Students are currently required to enrol in either one of two first year prerequisite units, Introduction to Economic Methods (IEM) and Business Statistics (BS). The results of the analysis suggest that student performance in Economic Modelling is significantly related to the grades they received in their core knowledge courses. Other variables examined include: attendance in lectures and practical classes, frequency of access to vUWS, previous enrolment, ethnicity, school English, Economics and Mathematics, gender, university entrance ranking and lag of entry to university