The quality of teacher education has been increasingly questioned by European educationalists and politicians. In this context, it is essential to determine the factors that are important for successful teacher education. These factors include not only professional and financial resources, but also the personal capabilities of students. Therefore, the question arises what fundamental abilities and knowledge do trainee teacher candidates have to demonstrate when entering teacher training programs and subsequently starting their teacher career.

Regulations for entering teacher training programs differ worldwide, and the implementation of aptitude assessments for trainee teacher candidates has been widely discussed in Europe (e.g., Sliwka & Klopsch, 2012). While passing a qualification examination is required in Finland, in Germany, for instance, no specific requirements are defined and all students who have received a university-entrance diploma are permitted to enter teacher training programs. Some countries, such as Austria, are considering establishing strict access limitations in the near future. The implementation of restrictions necessitates the definition of required competencies and this leads to the research subject “which competencies and characteristics do suitable trainee teacher candidates theoretically need and to what extent do these competencies and characteristics actually exist”. Before addressing this question, it is essential to clarify what suitable means in this context.

According to Mayr (2012, p. 39), suitable candidates show certain characteristics and competencies which justify the thesis that successful teacher training can be expected to be a good basis for a gratifying and professionally grounded teaching career. Thus, the aptitude of trainee teacher candidates embraces two components, first the aptitude for teacher education and second the aptitude for teaching. These two components should be focused on during of student counseling by providing information about studying as well as teaching requirements. In addition, it is important to inform students whether or not they meet these requirements. In order to do this, analysis of their personal competencies is mandatory. Based on the test results, students should then be aware of the balance between their personal skills and the requirements.

Specific competencies have been identified as being essential for studying teaching and teaching in several research studies. The Austrian researcher Johannes Mayr (2012), for instance, investigated several predictors of probation for studying and teaching. One fact is that students who choose the profession because they are intrinsically motivated are more successful than other students. In addition, their interests could also be determined as important predictors. Especially social and job-specific interests are essential for succeeding in university and school teaching. Furthermore, the personality attributes conscientiousness and extraversion predict the students´ success. Moreover, mastery of speech is identified as being significant. Other scientists emphasize the importance of social competencies, such as communication skills, empathy, problem solving skills, or the capability for teamwork (e.g., Liekam, 2004; Sliwka & Klopsch, 2012). Aptitude assessments should measure these competencies and personal characteristics. This requires an objective, reliable, and valid test procedure (e.g., Bortz & Döring, 2006). The candidates should be made acquainted with the test results and should also be given advice on how to develop and enhance the required competencies.

In 2009, an aptitude assessment procedure called PArcours was developed by Professor Norbert Seibert and colleagues at the University of Passau in Germany (e.g., Hechinger & Seibert, in press; Wirth & Seibert, 2011). In ECER 2014, a full introduction into the procedure was created by focusing on the test criteria objectivity, reliability, and validity. This year, modifications to and enhancements of the procedure will be presented. Furthermore, outcomes based on two assessment events as well as conclusions will be reported. Finally, measures for acquiring and enhancing trainee teacher competencies will be discussed.

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