Predictors of performance at the Baccalaureate in Romania. A Pilot Study

Abstract

The aim of the present study is to examine the predictors of performance on the Romanian Bacalaureat (BAC). The study analyses the relationship between the composite BAC score as the criterion and several psychological attributes as the predictors: general cognitive ability, emotional intelligence, learning motivation, grit, conscientiousness, self-regulation, and the hours spent on exam preparation. Data analysis reveals the fact that intelligence does not predict BAC performance at all. The same result also holds for the association between BAC performance and emotional intelligence or motivation. Self-regulation, conscientiousness and grit are trivially, yet not statistically significant associated with BAC performance. Even the number of hours spent on exam preparation donot predict BAC performance.Taking these results into account, it is crucial to explain why no statistically significant association was obtained between the predictors and criterion. In the author’s mind, the findings should sound a warning with regard to the exam held in Romania when one graduates high school.