In the Netherlands, a severe gap is felt between secondary and higher education when it comes to mathematics. For several years, a dispute is raging about causes and remedies. The gap in the mathematics transition was even a central topic in a parliamentary investigation into the problematic outcomes of educational innovations.

In the meantime, a country-wide initiative was deployed to close the gap, especially focusing on the shortcomings in algebraic skills (www.nkbw.nl). It brings together a broad range of mathematics materials in a web-based repository. Good practices of remedial courses are shared. Teams of teachers from secondary and higher education develop algebraic skills tests, that are positioned as a kind of calibration point for the transition. Interactive versions of the tests of publicly available for practising and for communicating the expectations about content and level.