ECAES, SaberPro, and the History of Economic Thought at EAFIT

This article studies implications of the recent redesign of the "Economic Analysis" module of the standardized test formerly known as ECAES, lately redsignated SaberPro. Its main concern is with the implications to the curriculum at the Universidad EAFIT – more specifically, with the adequacy of the history of economic thought (h.e.t.) part of the curriculum as preparation for the test and for other purposes. The sources of information for the article include conversations and correspondence with the academic and administrative leadership of the EAFIT Escuela de Economía y Finanzas and Departmento de Economía. They also include h.e.t. course syllabi from the Universidad EAFIT and, by way of comparison, from the Universidad de los Andes, the Universidad de Antioquia, and elsewhere; documents regarding the objectives and format of the ECAES economics exam obtained from the ICFES and AFADECO websites; and data for exam results over the period 2006 to 2009 obtained from ICFES