The uses and misuses of centralised high stakes examinations-Assessment Policy and Practice in Georgia

Trust in centralised high-stakes exams in Georgia has grown since 2005, when the introduction of nationwide standardised tests for university entry successfully eradicated the deep-rooted corruption in the admissions system. In 2011, another set of high-stakes exams were introduced for school graduation, resulting in a minimum of 12 exams for secondary school graduation and university entry. The examination system reform in 2019 was limited to abolishing the school graduation exams and reducing the number of university admission exams. Fewer exams instigated the fear of decrease in student motivation and the deterioration of learning outcomes among some stakeholders. This article describes how centralised high-stakes assessments have become an integral part of the education system, cites available evidence on their impact, accounts for recent changes, and argues that overreliance on centralised high-stakes exams is due to complex educational, political and social processes that make it difficult to transform the system.