How is The School Entrance Examination Carried Out in Germany? A Nationwide Survey of the German Public Health Departments.

Abstract

The aim of this study was to give an overview of the content, procedure and diagnostic methods used for the school entrance examination (SEE) in Germany. The focus was on the general implementation of the SEE and the developmental screening methods in the individual federal states of Germany. A total of 183 employees from the public health authorities from 15 different states took part in an online survey. The results showed a very heterogeneous picture with regard to the SEE, with the information provided by the employees varying both between and within most states. However, most frequently the SEE was carried out by physicians from the public health service within one examination (single stage), took 46 to 60 minutes per child, and administered not earlier than 12 months before school entrance. In terms of content, the focus was on the physical and cognitive development of the children. Most employees of the health authorities reported that they had specific requirements from the state or municipality for the implementation of the SEE. The Social Pediatric Screening of Developmental Status for School Entry (SOPESS) was the screening instrument used most often. In addition, it was reported that the majority of screenings lasted between 16 to 30 minutes, were executed completely and carried out in the same order. In around 50-60% of the cases, it was assumed that the screenings used met the scientific quality criteria. The present study offers an opportunity to compare the different approaches to the implementation of the SEE and to suggest further developments.