As part of its overall strategy for educational monitoring, the KMK has decided to regularly assess the extent to which the competence goals defined in the educational standards are being achieved in the federal states of the Federal Republic of Germany. To this end, the IQB regularly conducts large-scale studies, which have been known as the IQB Trends in Student Achievement (IQB-Bildungstrends) since 2015. As a rule, assessments in primary education are conducted every five years in German and mathematics, while assessments in lower secondary education are conducted every three years, alternating between the language subjects (German, English, and French) and the mathematics and science subjects (mathematics, biology, chemistry, and physics). The results are analysed at the level of the federal states’ education systems and provide policymakers with evidence on the extent to which implemented measures have led to positive developments overall and in which areas further action is required.
IQB Trends in Student Achievement in Primary Education
The IQB Trends in Student Achievement in primary education regularly assess the extent to which students in Grade 4 in the individual federal states achieve the competence goals defined by the educational standards in German and mathematics.
IQB Trends in Student Achievement in Lower Secondary Education
The IQB Trends in Student Achievement in lower secondary education regularly assess the extent to which students in Grade 9 in the individual federal states achieve the competence goals defined by the educational standards for the First School Leaving Certificate (ESA) and the Intermediate Secondary School Leaving Certificate (MSA), respectively.
How often are the IQB Trends in Student Achievement conducted? 🔗
The first cycle of studies on the achievement of the educational standards consisted of the IQB National Assessment Studies (IQB-Ländervergleich), which the IQB conducted between 2009 and 2012. The assessment conducted in 2015 (IQB Trends in Student Achievement 2015) marked the beginning of the second cycle. For the first time, this cycle made it possible to identify trends in the achievement of the educational standards over time. The IQB Trends in Student Achievement 2021 (primary education), 2022 (lower secondary education, language subjects), and 2024 (lower secondary education, mathematics and science subjects) constitute the third study cycle.
The fourth cycle of studies on the achievement of the educational standards will introduce several innovations in national educational monitoring. First, future assessments – beginning with the IQB Trends in Student Achievement 2027 in primary education – will, for the first time, provide information on the extent to which the revised KMK Educational Standards introduced between 2022 and 2024 are being achieved. Second, future assessments will be administered digitally, meaning that students will complete the test items on electronic devices (PCs/laptops or tablets) rather than using paper-and-pencil tests as in the past.
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