In Europe, diverse requirements for entering teacher training programs exist. While in some countries high school grades are crucial, some other countries or Universities have developed their own aptitude procedures. According to colleges from Norway for instance, students´ grades are significant for starting teacher training programs. By contrast, in Austria all prospective trainee teachers must complete an aptitude test successfully (e.g., Schorn, 2015). This test has three levels: Firstly, every candidate has to do an online procedure called CCT (Career Counselling for Teachers), which should prompt the candidates to review their personal aptitude. Secondly, several tests (e.g., to measure cognitive skills, creativity, and emotion regulation) are performed. Thirdly, successful completion of an interview, as well as a group task, is a prerequisite for starting teacher education. In Finland, a two-part selection procedure is used (e.g., Kricke, 2016): The candidates have to pass a multiple choice test called VAKAVA. In addition, diverse aptitude tests are conducted by the universities. As opposed to this, every student in Germany who holds an university-entrance diploma is permitted to enter teacher training programs. There are examinations for candidates who would like to study art, sport, and music, but no general aptitude test exists. However, some German universities have developed procedures, such as BASIS at the University of Kassel, FIBEL at the University of Münster, and PArcours at the University of Passau. For an overview, see, for instance, Nieskens (2012, p. 127). It is important to distinguish whether these procedures are online or real assessments, mandatory or optional, and whether they use self or external evaluation. Self-evaluation procedures are often mandatory and conducted online, whereas external evaluation procedures are usually optional and take place as face-to-face assessments. It should be emphasized that these German procedures generally provide counseling and induce reflection, but nevertheless, none of them are selective.

PArcours was developed in 2009 in order to counsel students who intend to study teaching. It is a one-day procedure and is offered for several days, twice a year, by the Department of School Pedagogy at the University of Passau. The purpose is to measure their competencies and personal characteristics that are essential for studying teaching and actually teaching (Hechinger, 2016; Hechinger & Seibert, 2015). According to Mayr (2012), predictors of suitability, for instance, are mastery of speech as well as the personality attributes conscientiousness and extraversion. Furthermore, intrinsic motivation for studying and teaching was identified as being significant. Besides that, social competencies, such as communication skills, empathy, or teamwork capability are essential for succeeding in university and school teaching (e.g., Sliwka & Klopsch, 2012). In PArcours, tasks are used in order to measure these and other important competencies and characteristics (Hechinger, 2016; Hechinger & Seibert, 2015). The tasks for candidates are self-presentation, film analysis, group discussion, and planning an excursion. The purposes of these tasks are, firstly to prompt the candidates to reflect on their personal characteristics and skills related to teaching requirements, secondly to provoke them analyzing pedagogical situations and creating learning activities, and overall, to initiate activity in order to make the competencies observable. Trained observers evaluate the candidates´ competencies by using Likert scales. At the end of the assessment day, extensive verbal and written feedback is provided to the candidates. In addition, they are asked to give feedback on their personal experiences in performing tasks. After PArcours, an evaluation study is conducted to prove attainability of objectives, investigate problems, and finally to optimize the procedure. Based on the evaluation results, the significance of testing trainee teachers´ aptitudes as well as the introduction of mandatory and selective aptitude procedures are discussed.

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