PISA Research
How Filipino 15-year-olds did in reading, maths and science, why early reading matters, and a free PISA-style test in Filipino.
Research: the Philippines in PISA
PISA is the OECD’s international test of 15-year-olds in reading, maths and science, held every three years. The Philippines first took part in 2018. Here is what the results say, and why strong foundations in Grades 1–6 matter.
See the numbers as a table
| Mean score | 2018 | 2022 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reading · Philippines | 340 | 347 | 367 |
| Reading · OECD average | 487 | 476 | 461 |
| Maths · Philippines | 353 | 355 | 371 |
| Maths · OECD average | 489 | 472 | 463 |
| Science · Philippines | 357 | 356 | 373 |
| Science · OECD average | 489 | 485 | 482 |
| Level 2 or above · Philippines | R 19% · M 19% · S 22% | R 24% · M 16% · S 23% | R 31% · M 21% · S 32% |
“Over 80% of students in the Philippines did not reach a minimum level of proficiency in reading.”
“Average 2025 results in Philippines were up compared to 2022 in mathematics, reading and science.”
🌱 Why this matters for young children
PISA tests 15-year-olds, but the gap starts much earlier. Before the pandemic, the World Bank estimated that 90.9% of 10-year-olds in the Philippines could not read and understand a simple, age-appropriate text. A child who is not reading fluently by Grade 3 finds every subject harder after that. That is why my work starts with phonics, fluency and number sense in the early grades.
📝 Try a PISA-style test
PISA questions put reading, maths and science into real situations: a barangay notice, a tricycle fare table, a simple experiment. Try my 12-question practice test in Filipino. The questions are my own, written in the PISA style.
Sources
- OECD (2019), PISA 2018 Results: Country note, Philippines
- OECD (2019), PISA 2018 Results: Combined executive summaries (OECD averages)
- OECD (2023), PISA 2022 Results: Country note, Philippines
- OECD (2026), PISA 2025 Results (Volume I): Country note, Philippines. 2025 OECD averages as reported alongside the release.
- World Bank (2022), The State of Global Learning Poverty: 2022 Update (Philippines figure based on 2019 data)
PISA-style test in Filipino
Twelve questions in three real-life units: a barangay notice, a tricycle fare table and a simple experiment. The questions are original, written in the PISA style.