Skopje, 5 December 2023 (MIA) - The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) released on Tuesday the 2022 PISA results, measuring the literacy of 15-year-olds in 81 participating nations.  

According to the Ministry of Education and Science, North Macedonia's scores in the 2022 PISA assessment have not changed significantly compared to 2018. 

“Of the 81 countries and economies that took part in PISA 2022, North Macedonia ranks 61 in mathematics with 389 points scored. On average, 15-year-olds scored 359 points in reading, ranking the country 71st. The average performance in science is 380 points, which ranks North Macedonia 68th in the world,” the Education Ministry said in a press release. 

The Ministry points out that the PISA 2022 results in general show a fall in the performance of 15-year-old students in mathematics, reading and science in almost all participating nations due to "the negative effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the quality of education on a global scale".

“The results will be of exceptional importance in revising current and creating future educational policies. The PISA assessment is one of the most widely-recognized and credible international tests that measures literacy, i.e. the applicable knowledge that students need to continue their education and succeed in their personal and professional lives. The tasks in the tests are related to real-life challenges that students can face, and the answers do not measure reproductive, but functional knowledge, which is important in connecting, understanding and solving problems,” reads the press release. 

The Ministry notes that the PISA testing was carried out electronically for the first time in the country, adding that the OECD has given a high score that "confirms North Macedonia’s technical readiness and smooth implementation, which is not the case in 20 percent of the participating nations”.  

The PISA 2022 assessment was North Macedonia’s fourth participation in the international testing, with previous including the ones in 2000, 2015 and 2018.

The testing in April and May 2022 was carried out by the State Examination Center, including 6,610 students from 111 secondary schools.

Photo: MIA archive