Central exit examinations increaseperformance...but take the fun out of mathematics

In response to PISA, all German federal states but one have adopted central exitexaminations (CEEs) at the end of all secondary school tracks. Theoretically, the advantagesof CEEs are fairly undisputed. CEEs make teaching and learning output observable andcomparable across schools, and provide incentives for teachers and students to increase theireffort. In line with earlier research, we confirm that CEEs have a positive causal effect onstudent performance. We also investigate what actually drives this effect. We find that theteachers' main reaction to CEEs is to increase the amount of homework, and to check anddiscuss homework more often. Students report increased learning pressure, which has sizeablenegative effects on student attitudes towards learning. Students who take central exit exams inmathematics like mathematics less, think it is less easy and they are more likely to find itboring...