Comparison of the success rates of candidates for geography studies in solving different types of tasks in 2016 and 2024

The aim of this study is to identify changes in geographic literacy over time by comparing the success rates of geography applicants when solving identical tasks used in the geography entrance exam test in 2016 and 2024 at the Faculty of Science of Charles University. We summarize the results of a comparison of the success rates in selected test tasks and we look at the shift in geographic literacy between two groups of respondents with similar characteristics (age, interest in studying geography at the same university) in different time periods. Through our study, we aim to open up the possibility of using geography entrance exam tests as one of the possible sources for studying the evolution of geographic literacy over time. Longitudinal studies focusing on changes in geographic literacy are still very rare, which we consider to be a research gap. The tasks used in the entrance tests in 2016 and 2024 were compared in order to determine which types of test tasks experienced the greatest change in success rate. The comparison included answers to a total of 25 test tasks, which were intentionally set identically in both years to make such a comparison possible. Answers were available from 269 respondents in 2016 and from 132 respondents in 2024. When evaluating the results, the tasks were divided according to various criteria (thematic focus, category of educational objectives, use of mathematical skills, inclusion of a visual element, etc.). The results indicate a relatively high rate of change in success in solving certain types and groups of test tasks. The results also show changes in the level of geographical literacy of students who come to university from secondary schools. This information could be helpful not only for universities themselves (who will get better information about changes in the level of applicants from secondary school level), but also for secondary school educators and experts engaged in curriculum development (who will get feedback on secondary education results). The results underline the importance of systematically monitoring changes in geographical literacy and call for further research on a larger dataset and across more time points.