- 2015Implementation
- 2016Implementation
- 2017Implementation
- 2018Implementation
- 2019Implementation
- 2020Implementation
- 2021Implementation
- 2022Completed
Description
Public and private VET providers and the Minister for Education, Culture and Science have agreed on an agenda on examination quality in Dutch VET for 2015-20. The agenda includes the validation of exams by an external body and the independence of the committee that issues VET diplomas. These arrangements will not apply to all exams, only to those that are developed through agreements in which schools do not participate.
In addition, legislative amendments were introduced primarily to ease VET learners' progress and ensure quality.
The agenda has been implemented since 2015.
A law differentiating examination requirements in languages and maths has also been proposed. Not all (VET) learners are able to meet the complete set of examination requirements in Dutch, English and mathematics. In 2016, the government drafted this law to differentiate these requirements for specific learner groups (e.g. learners in secondary pre-VET and pre-university programmes) to keep them motivated and positively challenged by offering feasible examination requirements. After public consultation completed in September 2016, the law is expected to come into force in 2020.
An amendment to the Adult Education and Vocational Education Act (Wet Educatie en Beroepsonderwijs, WEB) tightening requirements for examination boards in upper secondary VET was approved in February 2017 and came into force in September 2017.
This amendment aims at improving the quality of the work of school-based examination boards in upper secondary VET. Stricter statutory requirements for members of programme-based examination committees have been introduced to raise their competences (such as becoming more objective in their judgement, or capable of carrying out their tasks more effectively). To improve the quality and independence of the boards, at least one teacher and one external expert should be members.
The legislation also stipulates that when a diploma or certificate cannot be awarded, the examination board must, if requested by the student, issue a declaration in which it is stated what parts of the programme have been successfully completed. Such declarations help other schools to decide on granting exemptions, and individuals to show to an employer what parts of a course they have successfully completed.
The Inspectorate of Education concluded that the quality of the current examination instruments in upper secondary VET was outstanding. VET schools and private VET school providers want to maintain this high level of quality. Therefore, on 2 July 2018, the Council for upper secondary VET schools (MBO Raad), the Dutch Council of training and education (the sectoral association of private VET educators, NRTO), the Association of collaborating examination providers (ExSamen) and the education ministry signed new agreements, in which the three routes for validated examination instruments were further anchored in the specific context of the Dutch VET system. From 1 August 2018, only examination instruments which have been developed in line with one of these three routes can be used. In the first route, an education institution may choose to include exam products for a particular qualification from a certified agency. In the second route, education institutions can develop exam products themselves within collective agreements. In the third route, education institutions can develop an exam product and validate it externally.
The new agreements are a further implementation of the exam agenda, through which VET schools became responsible for securing and maintaining the quality of their examination procedures. The agreements describe the definition of validated examination instruments and in which of the three routes they are used. In this way, VET schools, together with examination providers, contribute to maintaining the quality level of national VET diplomas.
As a result of the exam agenda, the VET sector has addressed this issue itself. Effectively, the education ministry is confident that VET schools will continue to maintain a high quality level by themselves. The MBO council will include the agreements in their code of conduct. The purpose of the agenda is considered fulfilled.
The MBO council and NRTO set up the Validated examination instruments MBO foundation (Stichting Valide Exameninstrumenten mbo). This foundation will secure and maintain the agreements and monitor the application of the three routes system.
The agreements on validated examination instruments are operational and run as a regular practice.
The agreements on validated examination instruments are operational and run as a regular practice.
The implementation of the proposed 2016 amendment of the law on differentiating examination requirements in languages and maths has been delayed. A new public consultation started in February 2021 and was finalised on 2 April 2021. The law is expected to amend the requirements in mathematics, and also reduce the study hours of the optional parts of the upper secondary level 4 VET programmes (MBO 4) from 960 to 720.
As of August 2021, VET schools and colleges have an obligation to issue statements (MBO verklaring) of learning achievements of students who leave education without a full qualification. Learners should have completed - upon leaving education - at least, part of the training programme and achieved acceptable results for which, however, no (full) diploma or certificate can be awarded. Examination boards of VET institutions should issue such statements for all learners who are no longer enrolled at an institution, are younger than 23, and have not yet obtained a basic qualification. Examination boards may also issue such statements, to other students, if requested.
The agenda on examination quality in Dutch VET for 2015-20 has been concluded. After the delay in February 2021, when the public consultation started, the new law on requirements in mathematics and reducing the study hours of the optional parts of the upper secondary level 4 VET programmes (MBO 4) from 960 to 720 has now run into force as of August 2022.
Bodies responsible
- Ministry of Education, Culture and Science
- Council for upper secondary VET schools (MBO Raad)
Target groups
Learners
- Learners in upper secondary, including apprentices
Thematic categories
Governance of VET and lifelong learning
This thematic category looks at existing legal frameworks providing for strategic, operational – including quality assurance – and financing arrangements for VET and lifelong learning (LLL). It examines how VET and LLL-related policies are placed in broad national socioeconomic contexts and coordinate with other strategies and policies, such as economic, social and employment, growth and innovation, recovery and resilience.
This thematic category covers partnerships and collaboration networks of VET stakeholders – especially the social partners – to shape and implement VET in a country, including looking at how their roles and responsibilities for VET at national, regional and local levels are shared and distributed, ensuring an appropriate degree of autonomy for VET providers to adapt their offer.
The thematic category also includes efforts to create national, regional and sectoral skills intelligence systems (skills anticipation and graduate tracking) and using skills intelligence for making decisions about VET and LLL on quality, inclusiveness and flexibility.
This thematic sub-category refers to further development of national quality assurance (QA) systems for IVET and CVET, for all learning environments (school-based provision and work-based learning, including apprenticeships) and all learning types (digital, face-to-face or blended), delivered by both public and private providers. These systems are underpinned by the EQAVET quality criteria and by indicative descriptors applied both at system and provider levels, as defined in Annex II of the VET Recommendation. The sub-category concerns creating and improving external and self-evaluation of VET providers, and establishing criteria of QA, accreditation of providers and programmes. It also covers the activities of Quality assurance national reference points for VET on implementing and further developing the EQAVET framework, including the implementation of peer reviews at VET system level.
Modernising VET offer and delivery
This thematic category looks at what and how individuals learn, how learning content and learning outcomes in initial and continuing VET are defined, adapted and updated. First and foremost, it examines how VET standards, curricula, programmes and training courses are updated and modernised or new ones created. Updated and renewed VET content ensures that learners acquire a balanced mix of competences that address modern demands, and are more closely aligned with the realities of the labour market, including key competences, digital competences and skills for green transition and sustainability, both sector-specific and across sectors. Using learning outcomes as a basis is important to facilitate this modernisation, including modularisation of VET programmes. Updating and developing teaching and learning materials to support the above is also part of the category.
The thematic category continues to focus on strengthening high-quality and inclusive apprenticeships and work-based learning in real-life work environments and in line with the European framework for quality and effective apprenticeships. It looks at expanding apprenticeship to continuing vocational training and at developing VET programmes at EQF levels 5-8 for better permeability and lifelong learning and to support the need for higher vocational skills.
This thematic category also focuses on VET delivery through a mix of open, digital and participative learning environments, including workplaces conducive to learning, which are flexible, more adaptable to the ways individuals learn, and provide more access and outreach to various groups of learners, diversifying modes of learning and exploiting the potential of digital learning solutions and blended learning to complement face-to-face learning.
Centres of vocational excellence that connect VET to innovation and skill ecosystems and facilitate stronger cooperation with business and research also fall into this category.
This thematic sub-category refers to acquisition of key competences and basic skills for all, from an early age and throughout their life, including those acquired as part of qualifications and curricula. Key competences include knowledge, skills and attitudes needed by all for personal fulfilment and development, employability and lifelong learning, social inclusion, active citizenship and sustainable awareness. Key competences include literacy; multilingual; science, technology, engineering and mathematical (STEM); digital; personal, social and learning to learn; active citizenship, entrepreneurship, cultural awareness and expression (Council of the European Union, 2018).
Subsystem
Further reading
Country
Type of development
Cedefop, & ReferNet. (2025). Changes in examination procedures: Netherlands. In Cedefop, & ReferNet. (2025). Timeline of VET policies in Europe (2024 update) [Online tool].
https://www.cedefop.europa.eu/en/tools/timeline-vet-policies-europe/search/28439