Students at Hogeschool Utrecht have completed project Treasurer Test

For the first time, students of the Treasury Management minor at Hogeschool Utrecht completed the Treasurer Test. For the fourth-year HBO students, this proved no easy task. For treasuryXL and its ambassador Pieter de Kiewit and marketing coordinator Wout van Wijlick, this was as much an experiment as it was for the Institute of Finance & Accounting at Hogeschool Utrecht. For both of us: a very successful pilot!

The treasury minor has been offered for many years for both a Dutch- and English-speaking group. Out of a total of 36 students, 27 students (voluntarily) took the Treasurer Test. This number is obviously not enough to draw scientifically sound conclusions. Still, we can draw some interesting conclusions based on the results.

How did students take the Treasurer Test

For instance, the results of the Tests made on behalf of the students give a picture of which part of treasury they are best at. Recently, a LinkedIn poll had been published to explore what the treasury community thinks beginning treasury students are best at. It was mostly thought that these students would score high especially in the area of Cash Management, as shown in the poll result in the image below.

We teachers too had thought that the students would score best on Cash Management. However, what still appears based on the Minor students’ Treasurer Test results is that they actually scored highest on Risk Management. That was quite interesting. In both absolute terms and percentage of questions answered correctly, the Risk Management section was the best made by the students.

How can this outcome possibly be explained?

The fact that students score well in Risk Management can be explained perhaps by the fact that it is more likely to be an easier-to-understand field than Cash Management or Corporate Finance (where financing and payment constructions are often complicated and not easily recognisable from their own experiences). Perhaps a further cause is that for most students, foreign exchange and interest rate risks were already covered earlier in their studies during the finance subject, and less so in sophisticated cash management tools.

The students taught in these various treasury subjects during a semester generally found the Test rather difficult nonetheless. Although the minor involves a lot of collaboration with business, the translation to daily (treasury) practice is not easy for them.

For the curriculum, this Test therefore indicates where improvements can be made in the programme. Despite the fact that the students found it difficult, the Treasurer Test was a good reality check for the curriculum.

Finally, we thank treasuryXL, especially Pieter and Wout, for giving us the opportunity to experience the Treasurer Test. A good example of great cooperation between the business community and Hogeschool Utrecht.

Frans Boumans

 

Also curious about further results we will see? Like the post, follow Treasurer Test on LinkedIn and keep an eye on us!

---

Get inspired about Treasurer Test possibilities!

 

 

Wout van Wijlick, Manager of the Treasurer Test

---