The Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) is an international assessment of the skills and knowledge of 15-year-olds, who, in most countries, are nearing the end of compulsory education. PISA assesses students’ performance on ‘real-life’ tasks that are considered relevant for effective participation in adult society and for life-long learning. PISA is a project of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). In Ireland, the project is managed by the Educational Research Centre on the behalf of the Department of Education.
Since the year 2000, PISA has been implemented every three years, with the exception of the eighth cycle of the study which was due to take place in 2021 but was delayed by one-year due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The ninth cycle of PISA will take place in 2025. The number of participating countries has risen from 32 in 2000 to 90 for PISA 2025, making it one of the largest studies of its kind.
What is assessed?
The subject areas or ‘domains’ assessed by PISA are reading literacy, mathematics, and science. In each cycle of PISA, one of these domains is the main focus (‘major domain’) of the assessment, with less emphasis placed on the remaining domains (‘minor domains’). In 2025, science will be the major domain. To explore the main sections of the PISA 2025 Science Framework see the OECD website here.
In more recent cycles of PISA, additional innovative domains have been developed and administered to students. Ireland participated in the innovative assessment of Creative Problem Solving in PISA 2012 but did not take part in the innovative assessments of Collaborative Problem Solving and Global Competence in the 2015 and 2018 cycles respectively. Creative Thinking was the innovative domain in the 2022 cycle. While Ireland collected contextual information on students engagement in and attitudes towards creativity and creative thinking, we did not participate in the cognitive assessment. The innovative cognitive domain for PISA 2025 is Learning in the Digital World and Ireland will participate in this cognitive domain for this cycle.
| Cycle | Major Domain | Minor and Innovative Domains |
| PISA 2000 | Reading literacy | Mathematics, Science |
| PISA 2003 | Mathematics | Reading literacy, Science, Cross-curricular problem solving |
| PISA 2006 | Science | Reading literacy, Mathematics |
| PISA 2009 | Reading literacy | Mathematics, Science |
| PISA 2012 | Mathematics | Reading literacy, Science, Creative problem solving |
| PISA 2015 | Science | Mathematics, Reading literacy, Collaborative problem solving |
| PISA 2018 | Reading literacy | Mathematics, Science, Global Competence |
| PISA 2022 | Mathematics | Reading literacy, Science, Creative thinking |
| PISA 2025 | Science | Mathematics, Reading literacy, Learning in the Digital World |
How are students assessed?
PISA has transitioned to a computer-based assessment; since 2015, almost all participating countries, including Ireland, have administered PISA entirely by computer. In previous cycles of PISA, as well as completing paper-based assessments of reading literacy, mathematics and science, additional optional assessments of digital literacy, computer-based mathematics and problem solving were administered. Adaptive testing is possible on a computer-based platform and can improve accuracy and fairness in testing. Using a multi-stage approach, the test is adaptive to each student’s ability level – students start on a common set of items, and then, at intervals, progress onto items of a lower or higher difficulty, based on their previous performance. Adaptive testing for reading literacy and mathematics was designed and fully implemented in 2018 and 2022, respectively. For PISA 2025, adaptive testing will be implemented for the assessment of science, the major domain.
Along with assessing the achievements of students, PISA collects detailed contextual information from students, parents, teachers, and principals through the context questionnaires. In Ireland, the student, parent and school principal questionnaires will be a part of the assessment in 2025. In addition, a nationally developed questionnaire for science coordinators will be included as part of the administration of PISA 2025 in Ireland.
PISA in Ireland
The Field Trial for the ninth cycle of the study, PISA 2025, successfully took place in 53 post-primary schools in Ireland between March and April 2024. Preparations are now underway for the Main Study scheduled to take place in 172 schools between March and April 2025. As in previous cycles, students will also be asked to complete a computer-based questionnaire. Students’ principals will also be asked to complete a computer-based questionnaire, while their parents/guardians and the science coordinators in their school will be asked to fill out a paper-based questionnaire. Inspectors from the Department of Education, assisted by external support staff, will administer the assessment to students.
For more information about the Field Trial please click here.
Click on the links below for further information.
PISA National Advisory Committee for Ireland (2022-2025)
