Teacher grades for university entrance qualification: comparing classroom grades with standardised examination scores before and after a grading reform

Abstract

For university entrance qualifications, there is tension between relying on teacher grades and external examination results. In 2020, an Austrian grading reform allowed teacher grades to be averaged with examination results to form university entrance grades, raising concerns about grading validity. With data from 142 teachers and 8,581 students, this study examines longitudinally (2017 to 2023) the grade discrepancy between the two systems. Because teachers gave classroom grades and marked examinations, the grade discrepancy was standardised as Cohen’s d. ANOVA analyses evaluated the effect of subject, school type, and teachers’ gender on grade discrepancy. Overall, grade discrepancies were small, especially in language subjects. The reform did not affect grade discrepancy; discrepancies in mathematics declined in 2019 following changes in exam design. Vocational school teachers awarded lower classroom grades than examination results, while academic teachers graded classroom performance higher. Findings suggest that teachers’ classroom grades align well with standardised exam expectations.