The Challenge
Cito is a trusted partner for many educational institutions, offering advice on exam and test development while managing the entire testing process. The admission tests for teacher training colleges (PABO) represent a particularly complex project: prospective students must demonstrate sufficient knowledge of history, geography, and science & technology before or during their first year of study.
“Because students take the test before starting at the colleges —and because we also have to monitor the number of testing moments—the situation is quite complex,” explains Rianne Hommelberg, Product Manager for Vocational Education at Cito. “We were reaching the limits of our old system.”
According to Rianne, the main challenge was creating a streamlined process for all stakeholders.
“The colleges wanted more control and oversight. They need insight into their testing schedules, registrations, and direct access to the results. At the same time, students must be able to navigate the process effortlessly. Altogether, that requires a user-friendly system that supports the entire chain—from registration to feedback. A solution that covers the whole process within a single platform.”
The Solution
The contract for the PABO admission tests was awarded to Cito through a public tender. For this project, Cito entered a new phase of collaboration with Remindo (part of Paragin Group) and Eureka Examens.
“We’d already had positive experiences together—for example, with the Medical Calculations tests. That partnership went so well that we immediately had confidence in this collaboration. Moreover, the teacher training colleges were already familiar with Remindo from the National Arithmetic and Mathematics Test—a testing process that Cito and Paragin Group migrated to Remindo two years ago. So the choice was an easy one,” Rianne explains.
The implementation process was intensive.
“We had the kick-off in February and went live on September 1. That was a very tight timeline,” says Rianne. “We encountered plenty of challenges along the way, but we worked hard toward a shared goal—and that’s what made it happen. I appreciate how intuitive the new system is: it’s immediately clear where to click. That makes adoption much easier.”
The First Results
Since the launch on September 1, more than 1,500 candidates have registered for the admission tests.
“The system is running smoothly,” Rianne says. “Colleges now have more control, students progress through the process seamlessly, and we can handle exceptions much more efficiently. The entire testing process runs within one modular system, from registration to feedback. It’s less labor-intensive and therefore future-proof.”
The first exam week in October confirmed this in practice: no fewer than 511 tests were administered. It took a lot of attention to get everything set up correctly, but that effort paid off. The testing period went very well—only a few tests encountered minor issues, which we quickly resolved for the students.
“We received a lot of positive feedback from clients,” Rianne adds. “That’s the best confirmation that the system truly works.”
Looking Ahead
For Rianne, this project mainly reaffirms the value of collaboration.
“I really appreciate that we achieved this together—always professional, but with room for difficult discussions when needed, and with shared enthusiasm to deliver the best possible product for users. Remindo helps us provide complete solutions that truly advance education. It relieves colleges, gives students insight into their development, and makes the process more reliable. That’s exactly the direction we want to go.”