The challenge: diversity, complexity, and educational innovation
MBO Amersfoort is a comprehensive vocational education institution with over 8,000 students and 123 programs, located across multiple sites. Students learn not only at school but also within an extensive network of companies and organizations.
Ellen Kieviet-Hoegen Dijkhof, Head of Education and Development, explains:
“We offer a wide range of programs, which also means great diversity in examinations. Many exams are purchased from external exam providers — for instance, math exams, which have been administered through Remindo for a long time. Remindo is therefore firmly rooted in the vocational education landscape.
However, because different programs use different exam suppliers, we face significant variation and fragmentation. For students, it’s essential that they can log in to a single central place rather than having to jump between systems. Ideally, as many exams as possible should run through the same platform.”
Alongside these organizational challenges, MBO Amersfoort is also pursuing major educational innovations. By 2028, the institution aims to be fully modular, enabling students to have more control over their learning pathways. Ellen continues:
“Our education is changing. Students must be able to choose flexibly and complete modules in different ways. That also calls for a new approach to assessment — for example, working with learning outcomes that can be demonstrated through evidence. However, even as these elements evolve, certain standardized tests, such as the math exam, will remain. For those, we need a reliable system.”
At the same time, the organization is implementing a new student information system (SIS) and redesigning its processes. “It’s not just about technology but also about culture. We ask teachers and teams to consider new forms of assessment, in addition to their daily work. That’s quite a big shift.”
The solution: a uniform and user-friendly assessment platform
To modernize its examination system, MBO Amersfoort chose to develop and manage its own exams in Remindo, a digital assessment platform that supports the entire examination cycle.
“We were looking for a system that could be used widely — for knowledge tests, math exams, and soon, possibly for the new language requirements as well. At the same time, it needed to provide a uniform look and feel, so students wouldn’t constantly switch between different systems.”
A key focus was the ability to work with a central item bank. Ellen explains:
“Previously, we created new exams from scratch every time. That was time-consuming and increased the risk of errors. With Remindo, we can work from a fixed item bank — meaning we can reuse questions and generate variants. Each student still gets a unique exam, but for us it saves time and improves quality.”
The implementation went smoothly.
“The Remindo support team was fantastic — easily reachable, helpful, and truly collaborative. Teachers adopted the system quickly. You can tell there’s real pedagogical expertise behind it, and that builds trust.”
The result: greater control, standardization, and innovative capacity
The introduction of Remindo has given MBO Amersfoort more control and uniformity within its examination organization. This not only brings peace of mind and clarity to students but also ensures standardized and transparent testing processes.
The quality and reliability of examinations have also improved. With paper-based exams, analysis was hardly possible; in Remindo, results and questions can be thoroughly evaluated. This enables continuous improvement, resulting in fairer and more reliable assessments.
The collaboration during implementation has also sparked a cultural shift. Teams have become more aware of the importance of strong process design from the start. Ellen compares it to cooking:
“You need to have your recipe right before you start — otherwise, it won’t work. The same goes for a system like Remindo: garbage in, garbage out.”
The platform encourages the organization to think collectively about how assessments are structured, laying a solid foundation for the future.
For MBO Amersfoort, Remindo is more than just a practical tool — it’s a cornerstone for the years ahead. The platform makes examinations more uniform and efficient, while creating space for educational innovation and facilitating the transition to modular learning. As Ellen concludes:
“No matter how education evolves, exams will always remain — and in that, Remindo will continue to be our trusted foundation.”