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The Choice of Retaking Competitive Exams

Author

Listed:
  • Fanny Landaud
  • Éric Maurin

    (CY Cergy Paris Université, THEMA)

Abstract

In many countries, access to top science programs is determined by standardized competitive exams. If they fail, candidates are generally allowed to repeat their preparation and retake the exams. Relying on French data, we assess the impact of repetition on repeaters as well as on non-repeaters at the margin of repetition. Both groups appear to benefit equally from repetition, suggesting that students do not self-select into repeating based on their potential progress. Students who choose to repeat are predominantly male and high-income, which contributes to the persistence of significant income and gender gaps in access to top science programs.

Suggested Citation

  • Fanny Landaud & Éric Maurin, 2025. "The Choice of Retaking Competitive Exams," Thema Working Papers 2025-06, THEMA (Théorie Economique, Modélisation et Applications), CY Cergy-Paris University, ESSEC and CNRS.
    • Handle: RePEc:ema:worpap:2025-06
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Thomas Buser & Huaiping Yuan, 2019. "Do Women Give Up Competing More Easily? Evidence from the Lab and the Dutch Math Olympiad," American Economic Journal: Applied Economics, American Economic Association, vol. 11(3), pages 225-252, July.
    2. Hogarth, Robin M. & Karelaia, Natalia & Trujillo, Carlos Andrés, 2012. "When should I quit? Gender differences in exiting competitions," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 83(1), pages 136-150.
    3. Pedro Carneiro & James J. Heckman & Edward Vytlacil, 2010. "Evaluating Marginal Policy Changes and the Average Effect of Treatment for Individuals at the Margin," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 78(1), pages 377-394, January.
    4. Frisancho, Veronica & Krishna, Kala & Lychagin, Sergey & Yavas, Cemile, 2016. "Better luck next time: Learning through retaking," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 125(C), pages 120-135.
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    JEL classification:

    • I21 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Analysis of Education
    • I24 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Education and Inequality
    • I23 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Higher Education; Research Institutions

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