Assessment criteria and methods are defined by each school and reflected in the respective School Education Programme (SEP). There are no externally-based national final examinations at the end of basic (and compulsory) education (but some regions make available to their secondary schools standardised tests developed by private companies, to be used as entry examinations). By contrast, externally-based exit examinations are mandatory at the end of secondary education. These refer to the school-leaving examination and the final examination to obtain the apprenticeship certificate.