Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) national report: 2025

PISA 2025 involved 91 education systems, including Wales. 

In Wales, 3,406 15-year-old learners from 113 schools completed a 2-hour computer-based assessment and a learner questionnaire.

Samples may not be entirely representative of participating countries’ populations. Caution is therefore required when interpreting the analysis, particularly when comparing Wales’ results with those of other countries and with Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) average scores.

Main points

Science

• The average PISA science score for Wales in 2025 was 476 (significantly below the OECD average of 482).
• Learners in 54 of the participating countries achieved an average science score that was significantly below the average score for learners in Wales. 
• Learners in 25 participating countries achieved an average science score that was significantly above the average score for learners in Wales.
• Wales’ overall average science score for 2025: 
  • was not significantly different to the score achieved in 2022 (473) or 2015 (485). 
  • was significantly below the score achieved in 2018 (488). 
• The OECD trend average was not significantly different to 2022 or 2018 but was significantly below 2015.

Reading

• The average PISA reading score for Wales in 2025 was 459 (not significantly different to the OECD average of 461).
• Learners in 58 of the participating countries achieved an average reading score that was significantly below the average score for learners in Wales. 
• Learners in 20 participating countries achieved an average reading score that was significantly above the average score for learners in Wales.
• Wales’ overall average reading score for 2025: 
  • was not significantly different to the score achieved in 2022 (466).
  • was significantly below the score achieved in 2018 (483) and 2015 (477). 
• The OECD trend average was significantly below 2022, 2018, and 2015.

Mathematics

• The average PISA mathematics score for Wales in 2025 was 456 (significantly below the OECD average score of 463).
• Learners in 51 of the participating countries achieved an average mathematics score that was significantly below the average score for learners in Wales. 
• Learners in 24 participating countries achieved an average mathematics score that was significantly above the average score for learners in Wales.
• Wales’ overall average mathematics score for 2025 was significantly below the score achieved in 2022 (466), 2018 (487) and 2015 (478). 
• The OECD trend average was significantly below 2022, 2018, and 2015.

Note

The above figures are based on comparing Wales with other participating countries, including the component parts of the UK. This is consistent with the national report produced by the UCL Institute of Education (IOE) and the University of Oxford Centre for Educational Assessment (OUCEA).