Differences in reconsideration percentages between standardized attainment tests in the last year of primary school

In the Netherlands, track recommendations are used to allocate students to a track in secondary education. If the results of a standardized attainment test in the final grade of primary education indicate that students can go to a higher track, primary schools are required to reconsider the track recommendation. Currently, five tests are used for this purpose. This study explored whether and to what extent the percentage of reconsiderations differs per test, using population data of four recent cohorts. Large differences were found in the percentages of reconsiderations, both between tests and between cohorts. Of the three most used tests, the Centrale Eindtoets had the highest percentage of reconsiderations in 2020-2021, followed by the IEP Eindtoets. ROUTE 8 had the lowest percentage of reconsiderations in 2020-2021. To gain more insight into the comparability of these tests, more scientific research on the predictive and content validity of these tests is recommended.