Working Paper: NBER ID: w19663
Authors: Veronica Frisancho; Kala Krishna; Sergey Lychagin; Cemile Yavas
Abstract: In this paper we provide some evidence that repeat taking of competitive exams may reduce the impact of background disadvantages on educational outcomes. Using administrative data on the university entrance exam in Turkey we estimate cumulative learning between the first and the nth attempt while controlling for selection into retaking in terms of observed and unobserved characteristics. We find large learning gains measured in terms of improvements in the exam scores, especially among less advantaged students.
Keywords: Educational Outcomes; Retaking Exams; Learning Gains; Disadvantaged Students
JEL Codes: C13; C38; I23; I24
Edges that are evidenced by causal inference methods are in orange, and the rest are in light blue.
| Cause | Effect |
|---|---|
| retaking exams (A22) | educational outcomes (I26) |
| repeat taking of competitive exams (D29) | learning gains (A21) |
| background disadvantages (P17) | educational outcomes (I26) |
| repeat taking of competitive exams (D29) | reduction in background inequalities in college admissions outcomes (I24) |
| disadvantaged students (I24) | larger learning gains (D29) |