This project was commissioned by the British Council to explore the need to link secondary school learning outcomes to higher education needs in Mexico, as well as possible mechanisms to accomplish this. It aims to address the following research question: What skills or abilities are necessary for students to be adequately prepared for higher education and how can they acquire these?

This summary report contains findings from the main stages of the research: an international desk review and four in-depth country case studies (Finland, Japan, Poland and Slovakia) selected on the basis of findings from a quantitative analysis of education data pertaining to OECD countries; a desk review of areas of effective practice and existing policies and initiatives in the United Kingdom, plus expert interviews and focus groups with students; and a review of relevant policy and practice in Mexico, comprising a desk review, expert interviews and focus groups with students.