For parents and carers
What is PISA?
The Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) is the world’s largest international study of education systems, developed by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). Every three years, PISA tests 15-year-old pupils from all over the world in science, mathematics and reading. By participating in PISA25 your child is contributing to improvements to education in the UK and beyond. More information can be found on the OECD’s PISA website.
What does PISA involve?
For your child, the PISA assessment involves participating in:
- An interactive onscreen assessment covering science, reading and mathematics
- A background questionnaire asking about their life, school and learning experiences.
No prior preparation or work is required for your child to be able to complete the assessment.
What are the benefits of PISA?
Participating in PISA offers a range of benefits both for pupils, and more broadly for education in the UK.
- Your child will contribute to a study that helps us better understand our education system.
- Your child will have experience of representing England, Wales and Northern Ireland in an international study.
- Your child will be able to practise external assessment skills through an innovative ‘low stakes’ online assessment.
What information will be collected and why?
The purpose of the study is to gather data on children’s learning and development, in order to learn more about how best to support children. This information will contribute to future improvements in education policy and provision both in the UK and internationally. The Department for Education (DfE) has commissioned Pearson UK and their partners at UCL to carry out the study in England. The privacy and data security of the young people and schools we work with is very important to us and no individual child, parent, carer, teacher or school will be identified or identifiable in any reporting.
TIMSS uses a computer-based assessment to assess mathematics and science achievement at Years 5 and 9. This will help give our government an indication of progress in these subjects in comparison to other countries from around the world.
The questionnaire will ask pupils to provide contextual information, such as questions about their home life and interests in learning. All data from the study will be de-identified, and combined with responses from other pupils taking part in England and compared with results of pupils around the world. If there are any questions your child does not wish to answer they may leave them blank.
