The effect of summative assessments, such as grades, on student motivation for learning and achievement, has been investigated by numerous researchers. To a large extent the results are disparate and have led to different conclusions (Cameron et al., 2005; Harlen & Deakin, 2002; Ryan & Deci, 2000). The Differentiation Effect Theory suggests that the effect of grades and tests varies due to students´ level of ability, age, gender and socio-economic status (SES) while the Competitive Preference Theory suggests that more or less all students benefit from grades and tests irrespective of their characteristics and background (Cameron et al., 2005; Deci & Ryan, 2000). However, the majority of the results show that there are differential effects of being graded on later achievement and that the effects are different for different subgroups of students. Butler (1988) compared student´s motivation for learning after receiving different types of feed-back on several tasks. The students were given grades, comments or both. The conclusion was that comments had the largest positive effect on student motivation for learning while grades had a negative effect. According to the Conservation of Resources Stress Theory (COR) (Hobfoll, 1989, 2001), students strive to gain, rebuild and protect their resources (self-esteem) in order to reach success in school and to minimize stress. When experiencing failure in school, their self-esteem is threatened which may lead to a decrease of learning and development of negative attitudes towards school.

                      In a recently conducted quasi-experimental study (Klapp, Cliffordson & Gustafsson, 2011) based on a 10 percent national representative sample, half of which received grades and half of which did not receive grades in the 6^th Grade of compulsory school. The whole sample received grades in the 7^th Grade. The result showed that students who received grades in the 6^th Grade achieved slightly lower grade point average (GPA) one year later in comparison to students who did not receive grades in the 6^th Grade, after controlling for selection effects by the use of cognitive tests. The result also showed interaction effects. Students with low cognitive ability, and high socioeconomic status who were graded, received lower GPA in the 7^th Grade (effect sizes ranged from .20 to .49), whereas students with high ability and low socioeconomic status benefited from being graded. Thus, according to these results, to be graded seems to widen the gap even more between different subgroups of students due to their level of ability, gender and SES (Klapp, Cliffordson & Gustafsson, 2011).

                       In the current study, the main purpose is to investigate the long-term effects of being graded or not for later achievement by analysing data for subsequent Grades (7^th, 8^th, 9^th Grades, completion of upper secondary school, and exam from university) for different subgroups of students.

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