These are exciting days for Dutch children in the final year of their primary education. The exit exam, known by the acronym of its Dutch name as the Cito test, has begun.

In the course of three days children will have to answer 200 questions on language, arithmetic and other topics. The outcome, combined with the teacher's advice will determine what kind of secondary school education pupils will go on to follow. So the test means stress and sleepless nights for some 150,000 schoolchildren.

Stress
Despite annually recurring criticism of the Cito tests, 85 percent of Dutch schools, and a small percentage on the Netherlands Antilles, are taking part. The criticism usually targets the stress which the test causes for 11 and 12 year-old pupils. Fired on by their parents and teachers, most of these children hope to do as well as they can in the test.

The test has been in use for 40 years. It was introduced under the terms of the Education Act which states that children between the ages of six and twelve should be in education. The Education Ministry requires an independent test at the end of pupils' primary school career.

Reporter Marijke van den Berg went to Park School in the town of Zwolle to feel the tension.