The Assessment of the Achievement of Basic Educational Competences (ÜGK/COFO/VECOF)

The ÜGK/COFO/VECOF project is the first representative nationwide assessment of student performance in compulsory education system using Swiss measurement tools. All Swiss cantons participate in the assessment by providing a representative sample

The Swiss education goals stipulate that all students will achieve basic competencies at a given time in their school career. The ÜGK/COFO/VECOF examines the degree to which these national goals are achieved. These goals are important components of education system benchmarks, and the cantons are obliged under the Federal Constitution to work towards their harmonisation. The standardised performance tests are supplemented by surveys on students’ individual, scholastic and family circumstances, which provide information that is key to explaining the differing performance levels. The project’s overall goal is to generate the empirical basis for education policy development.