Published 19 October 2026 · Source: OECD · Education World. The newly released PISA 2025 results show why reading carefully, reasoning with numbers and evaluating scientific evidence matter more than memorising answers. The OECD published the first results on 8 September 2026. This guide explains what the figures mean and offers simple, original learning activities appropriate to families and teachers.

PISA 2025 at a glance

• 91 countries and economies participated in the 2025 assessment, according to the OECD.
• Approximately 760,000 15-year-old students took part, representing a much larger population of learners.
• The 2025 main domain was science, with reading, mathematics and learning in the digital world also assessed.
• Across OECD member countries, average reading and mathematics scores declined further, while the OECD reported that its average science score was broadly stable relative to 2022.
• The OECD also reported that roughly one in five 15-year-old students across its countries performed at low levels in all three core subjects.

Primary sources: OECD’s 8 September 2026 news release and PISA 2025 Results, Volume I: Future-Ready Students.

Did PISA 2025 show a decline in mathematics and reading?

The OECD reports average reading scores across its member countries fell by 28 points between 2015 and 2025 and average mathematics scores fell by 22 points. These are aggregated trends, not the exact change in every country or the decline of an individual child. PISA’s country pages and statistical tables should be consulted before comparing particular countries, schools or learners.

Science was the focal subject in 2025. The OECD’s recent results also examine learning environments and skills needed to make sense of information in the digital world. The central question for educators is not simply “Who ranked first?” but “What helps children understand and apply what they learn?”

Who performed strongly in PISA 2025?

The OECD’s summary identifies Beijing–Shanghai–Jiangsu–Zhejiang (China) and Singapore as among the strongest performers, along with several other leading East Asian and European education systems. It is important not to confuse a participating jurisdiction with an entire country, or present a single simple “world rank” without checking which subject, population and statistical uncertainty are involved.

For country comparisons, go to the official country and economy results rather than relying on social-media ranking cards.

How is PISA different from Maths, Science and English Olympiads?

• PISA: an OECD statistical assessment of selected 15-year-old learners, designed to compare educational outcomes and inform policy. It is not a public school contest that children register for individually.
• School-level Olympiads: subject competitions or independent educational assessments with their own grade eligibility, dates and registration rules.
• School Connect Olympiad: an independent organiser with free chapter-wise learning resources, educational videos and practice questions. School Connect does not administer OECD PISA or represent official PISA scores.

Five ways schools and parents can build stronger learning

1. Ask for reasons: after a child solves an arithmetic problem, ask how the result can be checked.
2. Read for meaning: use two short information passages and ask the learner to distinguish facts from opinions.
3. Connect science to evidence: discuss what happened in a fair, supervised experiment and what the results can or cannot show.
4. Practise with real contexts: use fictional shopping budgets, bus times, charts and maps to explain numbers.
5. Build safe information habits: teach students to notice dates, sources and missing evidence before forwarding claims online.

Five original practice prompts inspired by useful learning skills

These are new School Connect educational examples, not copyrighted PISA test items or official OECD material. They are deliberately simpler than full PISA tasks for younger readers.

1. Numbers: A fictional garden has 8 rows of 5 plants. How many plants are there? Answer: 40. Eight equal groups of five give 8 × 5.
2. Reading: A sign says “The library closes at 4 p.m.” Is “The library is the nicest place in town” a fact or an opinion? Answer: Opinion. A preference is not verified by the closing-time sign.
3. Science: Two plants receive equal light and soil, but different amounts of water. Which variable was changed deliberately? Answer: Amount of water. Other conditions were kept similar.
4. Data: A fictional class recorded 12 bicycles on Monday and 17 on Tuesday. What changed? Answer: Five more bicycles. Subtract 12 from 17.
5. Digital literacy: A headline shows an impressive claim but no source or date. What should the student do? Answer: Find a credible primary source and check when the information was published.

Useful free learning resources

Parents and teachers can connect these study habits with the School Connect learning website, where class-wise Maths, Science and English chapters have free linked videos and practice questions that are continually updated. More difficult Olympiad-style reasoning should be introduced gradually after children understand their school-level concepts. This is educational preparation, not a claim that a School Connect question bank replicates PISA.

Frequently asked questions about PISA 2025

What is PISA?

PISA is the OECD’s international assessment of 15-year-old learners in applying reading, maths and science knowledge to realistic problems.

When were the PISA 2025 results released?

The OECD published its first 2025 assessment results on 8 September 2026.

How many participants were in PISA 2025?

The OECD reports about 760,000 students from 91 countries and economies.

Was the 2025 assessment mainly about maths?

No. Science was the focus of PISA 2025, alongside maths, reading and learning in the digital world.

Did reading and mathematics improve globally?

The OECD reported declines in its member-country averages, but students and national education systems differ; read the country-specific results for local context.

Is PISA the same as an Olympiad?

No. PISA is a large-scale system-level assessment of sampled 15-year-olds, while Olympiads have distinct organisers, rules, subjects and entry routes.

Can primary pupils take PISA?

PISA assesses 15-year-olds using its own sampling methodology, not open registration for primary-school pupils.

How can younger children benefit from the findings?

Build reading comprehension, arithmetic reasoning, curiosity and evidence-checking through age-appropriate activities rather than attempting to copy 15-year-old tests.

Where can I read official PISA data?

Use the OECD PISA 2025 Volume I report, supporting country notes and press-release links in this guide.

Does School Connect organise PISA?

No. School Connect is an independent educational organisation; OECD operates PISA.

Sources and next updates

This article is based on OECD primary-source material published 8 September 2026. The OECD says additional volumes on self-regulated learning and English as a foreign language are expected in 2027; future changes should be added with their actual publication dates rather than silently changing the historical 2025 findings.

Read OECD PISA 2025 Volume I.