We are frequently contacted by parents who are shocked by the results of the group 7 entrance test.
‘How can our child receive a TL recommendation? The teacher said everything was going well!’
‘Good’ is a relative term. There is nothing inherently wrong with a TL recommendation; whether you are disappointed depends mainly on your own expectations. If you are wise, you will base these expectations on your child’s school results. However, we notice that many parents have little knowledge of the Student Monitoring System (LVS).
What is the LVS?
At almost all primary schools, nationwide tests are administered once or twice a year from group 3 onwards, usually around January (M-tests) and June (E-tests). These are mostly developed by CITO. The tests cover different aspects of math and language, and sometimes general knowledge. The results are recorded on a computer, providing insight into your child’s progress over the years and in comparison to other children. You can always request a printout of this data. Usually, these results are also available alongside the regular school report grades. In the past, scores were indicated with letters (A to E), but now they use Roman numerals (I to V).
- I or A: Good to very good
- II or B: Satisfactory to good
- III or C: Average to satisfactory
- IV or D: Weak to average
- V or E: Very weak to weak
It sometimes happens that a student receives a ‘good’ on their regular report but only manages a III on the LVS tests. Why is that?
First, LVS tests are standardized nationwide, whereas regular school report grades depend on individual teacher assessments, which may vary in strictness. Additionally, LVS tests cover all previous material, while method-based school tests often focus on a limited section of the curriculum. This is why it is essential to look at both the regular school report and the LVS results.
What does the LVS mean for school recommendations?
Primary schools have significant freedom in determining school recommendations. These are typically based on two factors:
1. The student’s performance in groups 7 and 8, including the school report, LVS scores, entrance test, and final test (although the final test in Almere comes too late).
2. The teacher’s personal impression of the student’s work attitude, independence, and other qualities.
We believe that LVS results from groups 7 and 8 should form the foundation of the final recommendation, with group 8 results carrying the most weight. Fortunately, this is usually the case. In our view, the most important LVS scores are those for math and reading comprehension, though this can be debated.
As a general rule:
- Mostly III scores → VMBO-TL
- Mostly II scores → HAVO
- Mostly I scores → VWO
D and E scores in key subjects often indicate that VMBO-TL is too ambitious. Of course, there are exceptions, but if a school gives a TL recommendation to a student with mainly II scores in math and language, they should have a strong explanation for it!
Finally, we want to emphasize our key tip: at the end of group 6, LVS results often give a clear indication of your child’s academic direction. If your child mainly has III and IV scores, you should not expect a preliminary HAVO recommendation in group 7 unless their performance improves. There is still time to make changes at the end of group 6, but by the end of group 7, it is usually too late!