Do Central Examinations Lead to Greater Grading Comparability? A Study of Frame-of-Reference Effects on the University Entrance Qualification in Germany

In Germany, the "Abitur" grades awarded at the end of upper secondary education are critical in the allocation of sought-after university places. Drawing on a representative sample of 3526 grade 13 "Abitur" students in the German state of Baden-Wurttemberg, this article examines whether and to what extent grading is affected by the mean achievement of the school serving as frame of reference ("group-referenced grading"), and to what extent this influence differs for coursework and examination grades in mathematics and English as a foreign language. Overall, the results indicate that the higher level of standardization of the central "Abitur" examinations makes examination grades less susceptible to frame-of-reference effects than are coursework grades. (Contains 4 tables.)