Examination and Certification in Luxembourg
The Luxembourgish VET system is organised in a unit and modular based system where each module’s competences are assessed individually by the VET teacher or in-company trainer in charge. VET programmes leading to a DT or a DAP include a final national test organised as an integrated project corresponding to a real or simulated working situation. The official VET certifications are issued by the National Authority for Vocational Certification.
The curricula frameworks of the VET programmes are structured into units and modules where each module leads to a pre-defined set of competences (learning outcomes) of a trade or profession. Each module is assessed individually by the VET teacher or by the in-company trainer in charge of the teaching or training of the module, according to the nationally fixed and binding assessment frameworks of the Ministry of Education, Children and Youth (MENJE).
Since the initial major VET reform of 2008, the so-called integrated projects replaced the former theoretical and practical final exams in the VET programmes leading to a DT (technician’s diploma) or a DAP (vocational aptitude diploma). The integrated project corresponds to a simulated or real working situation that the learner has to successfully cope with in order to meet the conditions to be certified. Integrated projects have a maximum duration of 24 hours and are subdivided into an intermediate integrated project (projet intégré intermédiaire) organised at the middle of a VET programme, and a final integrated project (projet intégré final) organised at the end of a VET programme.
With the VET reform of 2019, an additional evaluation by grades was re-introduced. Additionally, in order to better inform students and parents about their progress, semi-annual reports based on competences are elaborated.
The elaboration of the integrated projects and their assessment is ensured by assessment teams (équipes d’évaluation). Those are composed both of experts proposed by the professional chambers, and of VET teachers proposed by the technical secondary schools. Additional assessors (experts assesseurs) can be nominated to assist in the assessment process. However, those assessors are not allowed to validate the results of the apprentices, this task may only be performed by the regular members or their replacements.
In order to be admitted to the final integrated project test, the apprentice has to successfully pass a fixed percentage of mandatory modules of the VET programme he followed. If he passes the final integrated project, he is granted the certification of the VET programme.
The certification of IVET and CVET leading to the officially recognised qualifications (DT, DAP and CCP (vocational capacity certificate)) is in the responsibility of the National Authority for Vocational Certification (Autorité nationale pour la certification professionnelle). It is composed of the director of the Department for VET of the MENJE, representatives of the professional chambers, and five directors of the technical secondary schools.