Why do female law students perform worse than their male counterparts in the compulsory German state examination? This question is being examined by a unique, nationwide research project launched by the North Rhine-Westphalian Ministry of Justice, together with a team from the University of Cologne and the Cluster of Excellence ECONtribute.
The figures paint a clear picture: around 34% of female examinees in North Rhine-Westphalia failed the exam, compared to around 22% of men. Men also performed better in terms of grades: about 27% of men received a “fully satisfactory” grade or better, compared to around 16% of women.
A research team involving ECONtribute members Prof. Dr Matthias Heinz and Dr. Amelie Schiprowski plans to survey approximately 2,000 students, graduates, and examinees, as well as evaluate anonymized exam data. The aim is to analyze differences in learning behavior, exam preparation, and behavior in exam situations. Additionally, the study will examine whether female students may be disadvantaged in the assessment of their performance. The research project aims to better understand the causes of significant performance differences and, based on this understanding, examine possible changes to the course of study or examination procedures.
