Introduction

This document compares and contrasts the Mathematics Framework in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development’s (OECD) Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) and GL Assessment’s Progress Test in Maths (PTM) 5-14.1

Mathematical concepts and skills are the same around the world. Both OECD and GL Assessment have created assessments of mathematical skills and knowledge that build on this global foundation of mathematical competencies. When developing the PISA Mathematics Framework and the 11 tests that make up the Progress Test in Maths series, the latest research on mathematics teaching and learning was included. Reference to local curricula in different countries and regions was made and thus incorporated into the assessment frameworks. With this shared background, it is not surprising that the two assessments have significant overlap in their objectives and content. They both measure similar mathematical process categories and content domains.

However, the purpose of each assessment is different. The PISA framework has been developed to measure education systems with a triennial sample of 15-year-olds. The PTM series assesses the skills and knowledge of 5- to 14-year-old individuals in an age-appropriate way.

As the content of the assessments derives from similar sources, it can be assumed that, on average, a student who consistently performs well in PTM year-on-year, and progresses as expected for their age, would also perform well in PISA.

To demonstrate improvement of an education system, focus must be on the individual students, and in supporting them to do their best. PTM provides detailed profiles on mathematical learning of groups and students, and data that are relevant to each individual child’s teaching and learning.

1 This document draws on information available on OECD’s PISA website and other publicly available PISA documentation. A full list of sources is provided at the end of this document.