Before switching to grammar school in Baden-Württemberg, there is a test to pass. In the 2024/2025 school year, fourth-graders will have to prove their knowledge in the ‘Kompass 4’ test. The test is designed to assess the level of achievement in German and mathematics in grade 4, as well as ‘interdisciplinary skills’. As the Institute for Educational Analysis (IBBW) further reports, the exam is intended, among other things, to ‘support teachers in their recommendations and parents/guardians in their decisions regarding the type of secondary school’.
The class conference’s overall pedagogical assessment and the results of the ‘Kompass 4’ skills assessment are crucial for the transition. This means that, in addition to the parents’ wishes, either the class conference must approve the change or the appropriate grades must be achieved in “Kompass 4” in order to be able to attend a grammar school. If neither of these conditions is met, a so-called potential test can enable the student to attend the grammar school. According to the IBBW, this is to ‘avoid children who cannot meet the performance expectations at the grammar school from becoming permanently frustrated and, in the worst case, losing the joy of learning’.
The main dates for the ‘Kompass 4’ test are Tuesday, 19 November, for German and Wednesday, 20 November, for mathematics. The exam lasts 45 minutes and starts at 9 a.m. The alternative dates are one week later on 26 and 27 November. Parents should find out the results of the exam in the information and counselling sessions by 31 January 2025 at the latest. In March, parents can register their children at the secondary schools.
Answers to questions about the primary school recommendation can be found at the link KM BaWü | FAQ Bildungsreform
Detailed information about the different types of secondary schools in Baden-Württemberg can be found at KM BaWü | Schularten
The Institute for Education Analysis’s report can be found here: IIBW | Kompass 4
The information evenings for Tübingen secondary schools and the registration dates can be found in this press release:
https://www.tuebingen.de/1620.html#/43784
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Tübinger Schule. Foto: tuenews INTERNATIONAL / Mostafa Elyasian.
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