National comprehensive tests for independent schools to start on May 9

The Evaluation Institute of the Supreme Education Council is set to begin administration of the sixth annual Qatar Comprehensive Educational Assessment (QCEA) from Sunday, May 9 until Thursday, June 3, 2010.

The QCEA comprise a number of tests based on the national curriculum standards set by the SEC for mathematics, science, and Arabic and English Languages. The QCEA is conducted annually to students in grades 4 – 11 in the independent schools to measure how well they perform in the four subjects with respect to the demanding national curriculum standards set by the SEC.

The exams will commence on May 9 to 13, 2010 for grades 10 and 11 and May 16 to 20 for preparatory students. Primary school tests will be conducted in two stages: May 23 to 27, 2010 and May 30 to June 3, 2010.

These tests provide a way to measure the standard of the efficiency among students, and measure the achievement of schools in accordance with national curriculum standards. They help identify the progress of the students’ learning in each year, give an overview of the educational performance, including schools and students.

QCEA tests also provide different analysis and research mechanisms that help in the decision making process as well as promote educational accountability and support the education reform plans in the Qatar.

Test results are a form a basic assessment tool to monitor and follow up the progress of students and provide data, enabling schools to continue to improve and develop.

In order to be more educationally useful, student scale scores are converted into performance levels that indicate whether a student has met standards or not. There are five performance levels: “meet standards” (level 5), “approaches standards” (level 4) and “below standards” (levels 1 through 3). The 2009 QCEA results show substantial progress in student achievement as the performance of Qatar’s students is at an all time high and the number of students performing “below standards” is at an all time low.

The 2009 QCEA results show that the performance in Arabic language was better than the other three subjects. Students showed significant improvement in mathematics and science with fewer students falling into the “below standards” category compared to the previous year.