OECD on Global Trends In Upper Secondary Certification - Balancing Selection, Inclusion, and Labor Market Needs
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Ministry of Education | National Statistical Office
In a comprehensive 2026 report titled The Theory and Practice of Upper Secondary Certification, the OECD underscores that upper secondary certificates have transitioned from simple records of completion to essential “passports” for life after school. These certificates face the dual, often conflicting, challenge of becoming more inclusive—by recognizing a broader range of student skills and knowledge—while simultaneously becoming more selective to help employers and universities identify top candidates from increasingly large applicant pools. To analyze these dynamics, the report maps 71 certificates across 38 education systems through a new matrix that evaluates their design, assessment tasks, and responsibilities.
Diversity of Assessment Tasks and Responsibilities The analysis identifies five primary categories of assessment tasks currently in use globally:
Examinations and Tests: The most common format (59/71 certificates), valued for their efficiency in assessing large bodies of knowledge and higher-order skills like analysis and interpretation.
Teacher-Based Assessments: Utilized in 38 systems to promote validity by tailoring tasks to local contexts, though they often lack system-wide visibility without explicit oversight.
Practical Activities and Performances: Employed in over half (39/71) of certificates to assess ephemeral or artistic skills that cannot be captured via written tests.
Projects and Portfolios: Used in 32 systems to evaluate complex, independent research and creation, providing students with a higher degree of agency.
Naturally Occurring Evidence: Primarily used in vocational programs (11/71) to judge skills based on organic activities in the classroom or workplace.
Predominant Certification Models The report classifies certification systems into three distinct models based on their reliance on internal and external components:
Model 1 (External Only): Rare (10/71) and almost exclusively found in general education where certification is tightly coupled with competitive university selection.
Model 2 (Internal Only): Found in 19 systems, predominantly for vocational programs or where separate high-stakes entrance exams (like SATs or KSATs) are used for selection, potentially raising equity concerns through reliance on private tutoring.
Model 3 (Mixed Approach): The most common model (42/71), balancing external credibility with the valid, inclusive measurement of diverse skills through internal components.
The Four Guiding Principles for Certification Design To ground the analysis in the perspective of key stakeholders, the report introduces four guiding principles that are essential for meaningful certification systems:
Relevance: The extent to which the knowledge and skills assessed match the national curriculum and are valuable for a student’s next steps in life, work, or higher education.
Credibility: The level of trustworthiness and reliability perceived by stakeholders, ensuring results are seen as a valid marker of achievement for selection purposes.
Fairness: Ensuring all students, regardless of background or program, have equal opportunities to demonstrate their capabilities without bias.
Manageability: The sustainability of the system for students, teachers, and administrators, ensuring workloads are balanced and processes are efficient
Labor Market and Student Outcomes The design of a certificate significantly influences student well-being and future success:
Vocational Parity: For vocational programs, success depends on assessments that authentically recognize unique occupational skills through workplace evaluations and employer involvement.
Predictive Power: Research suggests that teacher-based grades are often more predictive of success in higher education than standardized tests, likely because they account for non-cognitive factors like motivation and persistence.
Growth Mindset: Interestingly, the report finds a significant association between high-stakes external exams and a decrease in student growth mindset, suggesting that over-reliance on exams may discourage students from enjoying challenging work.
What is the “Balanced Certificate” model and why is it becoming a global policy preference? The Balanced Certificate model (Model 3 in the OECD report) combines both external examinations and internal, teacher-led assessments. This model is gaining traction because it mitigates the weaknesses of both extremes: external exams provide the credibility and standardisation needed for high-stakes selection (e.g., university entry), while internal assessments allow for the valid measurement of complex “21st-century skills”—such as teamwork, creativity, and project management—that a single time-pressured exam cannot adequately capture.
Policy Relevance
The insights from the global certification landscape provide a strategic framework for the Ministry of Education to refine its implementation of NEP 2020.
Reforming Entrance Exams (JEE/NEET): Realigning upper secondary certification with higher education access can reduce the “shadow education” economy and socio-economic disparities, ensuring that school performance carries more weight in admissions.
Institutionalizing Social-Emotional Learning (SEL): Incorporating the assessment of non-cognitive skills—which are better predictors of university success than one-off tests—directly supports the NEP’s mandate for “holistic development”.
Quality Assurance through PARAKH: Implementing robust moderation mechanisms is essential to ensure that internal assessments remain standardized across states, preventing “grade inflation” while maintaining the credibility of state board certificates.
Sustainable Reform Management: Learning from international “reform fatigue” allows India to sequence its changes—such as biannual admissions and credit portability—in a way that does not overburden teachers and administrators.
Follow the full news here: The Theory and Practice of Upper Secondary Certification