What Do We Know About the Effects of National Tests?

Working Papers 362 Hannu Karhunen

Abstract

Finland is an exception both within the Nordic countries and internationally: standardized national tests are not used in basic education. In this review, I examine what the empirical research literature tells us about the effects of national tests on learning outcomes, student well-being, and teachers and instruction, and how well this evidence generalizes to the Finnish context.

The review draws on 183 studies published between 2010 and 2025. At its core is the systematic review by Ketonen and Atjonen (2025), complemented by a new search targeting economics publications. The studies are classified according to their primary outcome and the strength of their research design, with the interpretation weighted toward experimental and quasi-experimental designs that support causal inference. The findings indicate that national tests, and the incentive and information mechanisms associated with them, improve learning outcomes in many studies and in some cases also later educational and labour market outcomes.

The effects are often largest for students in less advantaged positions, which supports the interpretation that national tests can strengthen equity in assessment. At the same time, the tests increase students’ short-term stress, particularly close to the time of testing; strong evidence of long-term harm to well-being is, by contrast, lacking. A poorly designed system can, however, create incentives for strategic behaviour by schools, such as selecting low-performing students out of testing.

The overall picture from this review departs from the interpretations of Ketonen and Atjonen (2025): Considering the research evidence, national tests can deliver substantial benefits in terms of learning outcomes and equity. Their potential introduction in Finland would require a careful examination of international experience and deliberate system design.