In a selective school, testing consists of more narrowly focused subject-specific tasks related to the school’s profile. Problems, equations, and exercises tied to the school’s specialization are part of the assessment.
In a non-selective school, in addition to subject-based knowledge tests, the following may also be used:
- Cognitive ability tests
- Logical reasoning tests
- Assessment of psychological readiness*
- Neuropsychological testing
- Interview with a teacher or principal
- Values-based interview
- Open-ended questionnaires
* This is especially relevant for children entering first grade. They may have sufficient knowledge and skills but may not yet be psychologically ready to handle the demands of school.
A school may choose any type of assessment, but for a complete understanding of the child’s profile, the ideal option is to combine several types depending on what the school offers. For example, this might be a combination of neuropsychological testing, an interview, and subject knowledge checks.
Who should be involved in the process? This is the first question schools face. There are several possible answers. It may be an admissions officer who administers the test and checks right/wrong answers. However, since admissions staff are not subject specialists, they can only rely on answer keys. This creates additional stress and includes the human factor: details of problem-solving may go unnoticed, and mistakes may be overlooked if the key does not match.
Entrance exams may also be administered by teachers. However, teachers cannot be constantly distracted from their lessons to check tests. What’s the solution? The answer is automation through systems like Mojo.
How can we ensure the objectivity of the data? It must be admitted that interviews are, in most cases, subjective evaluations. In the future, it may be possible to train AI models that can assess not only what the child says or writes, but also how they structure their thoughts — reducing subjectivity. For example, machine learning could be used to evaluate wording and vocabulary, minimizing the influence of personal bias. At present, however, this has not yet been implemented and remains a matter for future development in AI and technology.
How can entrance exams be automated?
Let’s look at the process step by step. First, a registration link for testing is placed on the school’s website. A parent registers the child, and the admissions officer assigns the test based on the student’s age and intended grade level. The officer can open or close access to the tests and set time limits. An interview can also be scheduled through the student’s personal profile. If the test is conducted on an external platform (for example, a specialized service for English assessment), results are still recorded in the student’s profile. Both the parents and the school receive a report with scores, results of psychological assessments, and interview notes.
Selective schools may set a minimum passing score, while non-selective schools view results as baseline data to help define what opportunities they can offer to address different educational needs.
Automated testing is also convenient when assessments must be conducted remotely. Of course, no system can fully eliminate the human factor: parents may sit with their child and help them answer. However, this is a limitation of all remote testing, and at the current stage of technology, it cannot be fully avoided.
What to do with the test results?
It is important to store information about each child in a database in order to track developmental progress throughout their school years. This data may also prove useful in the future: for instance, in cases of conflict, psychological assessments can help identify underlying issues and guide strategies for building classroom well-being and personalized learning paths.
