The third edition of the IT Fitness Test has kicked off
The third edition of the IT Fitness Test has kicked off
16.4. 2024, Prague – The third edition of the largest international digital skills test of pupils and students in the Czech Republic has just started. The IT Fitness Test V4 and Ukraine is a comprehensive test of digital competences and has already exceeded all expectations last year. This year it comes up with questions on artificial intelligence. Testing will be online and free until October 2024 on the IT Fitness Test website.
The IT Fitness Test V4 + Ukraine provides key insights into the level of digital skills in the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland, Hungary and Ukraine. The test in the Czech Republic is organised by the Association for Applied Research in IT (AAVIT) and Česko.Digital.
The aim is to measure the digital literacy and readiness of primary and secondary school pupils for further studies, careers and life in the digital society. The test is interactive, fun and invites people to work with the internet and resources, focusing on real skills, not knowledge.
“I am pleased that we are launching the third year of testing this year. The IT Fitness Test is originally an initiative of our Slovak colleagues who have been working on it since 2011. Over time, all countries of the Visegrad Four (V4) and Ukraine have joined the test. The aim is to raise awareness and assess the current state of competencies, but also to identify key areas for improvement,”
– says Jaromír Hanzal, Director of the Association for Applied Research in IT (AAVIT).
What are the new features of this year’s IT Fitness Test 2024?
The test covers five areas:
- Internet
- Security and computer systems
- Complex problem solving
- Office tools
- Collaboration and social networking tools.
“Developing digital skills is essential for students’ employability in the job market. The IT Fitness Test reveals how students are objectively doing – what their strengths are, what their weaknesses are, and therefore what to emphasise in their further education. This year, we are also focusing on the use of artificial intelligence tools, the use of which will grow rapidly in the near future.” said Jan Kotara, CEO of Česko.Digital.
The IT skills of pupils and students, as well as teachers, are tested in the field of computer science and the use and evaluation of information. However, the testing interface is also available for state and public organisations, private companies or educational institutions. They can use it for internal staff training or retraining.
Digital development as a priority for the Czech Republic and Europe
The development of digital skills in a lifelong perspective is one of the priorities not only for the Czech Republic, but also at the European level in the context of meeting the common digital goals by 2030 within the EU.
“I am glad that we could support the project on behalf of the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports. I see the results of the IT Fitness Test as a useful assessment of pupils’ digital skills. This should then be used to prepare further measures and activities to meaningfully and effectively develop the digital skills not only of pupils but also of adults in the Czech Republic,” concludes Martin Úlovec, Commissioner for Digital Education and Digitalisation at the Ministry of Education.
Last year’s edition ended in success
In 2023, almost ten times as many respondents took the test compared to the previous year. In the Czech Republic, 88,695 respondents took part in the second edition, of which 74,207 completed the test. 34,815 primary school pupils and 33,194 secondary and university students participated in the test. The average pass rate for primary school pupils was 53 %, while the average for secondary and university students was 54 %. In total, 146,252 respondents took part in the Visegrad Four countries and Ukraine.
“We are extremely pleased that the historically second edition of the IT Fitness Test in the Czech Republic ended with a huge success – testing almost ten times as many people as in 2022. Digital education must start at the primary school level and be conducted in a way that will motivate young people to further deepen their skills in this area. I believe that this year’s testing will build on last year’s,” concludes Hanzal.
The Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports of the Czech Republic, the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs of the Czech Republic, the Confederation of Industry and Transport of the Czech Republic and also the Cabinet of the Deputy Prime Minister for Digitalization and the Minister for Regional Development Ivan Bartoš took over the professional patronage of the project for this year.
