The impact of an examination board in Pakistan on student outcomes

[Paper presented at RISE Launch Event on 18-19 June 2015 in Washington DC: The impact of an examination board in Pakistan on student outcomes]

Public examinations and national tests in many countries are frequently understood to have the purpose of providing accountability and monitoring standards, alongside offering qualifications in particular for entrance into higher education. Discussions around assessment at this level are about measuring student outcomes, most frequently student attainment, and often focus on how this is achieved and the reliability and validity of such measurements. Less frequently discussed are the effects (sometimes referred to as 'wash back' effects) that an examination system can have on determining and changing student outcomes. This paper presents findings from an impact evaluation conducted on the Aga Khan University Examination Board (AKU-EB) in Pakistan. The evaluation employed a mixed methods approach; questionnaires were administered to students attending secondary and higher secondary schools (14-18 year olds) which followed the AKU-EB syllabus and those who did not. Fieldwork was also conducted in Pakistan which included interviews and focus groups with parents, key stakeholders (including university admissions officers), alumni and principals, pupil focus groups and lesson observations. In addition, university admission data has also been obtained and analysed. Drawing upon research conducted as part of the impact evaluation this paper reports a positive wash back effect. It demonstrates how AKU-EB has not only improved the educational experience of the pupils, but more importantly how their examinations, and the syllabus on which they are based, have broadened and changed the nature of the skills pupils gain. Of particular importance in the Pakistani context is the impact of the examination board on the development of twenty-first century skills. Compared to the students taking one of the many local examination boards operating in Pakistan, students studying for AKU-EB examinations demonstrate a greater ability to reason, think critically, and apply their knowledge. In addition the students feel more confident and better prepared to work in teams, to study independently and direct their own learning. This paper concludes by highlighting the way that other developing countries could learn from the example of the Aga Khan University Examination Board in Pakistan and consider how national assessment can be used as a driver for wider educational change.