PISA test in UAE

There are various international tests developed by international organizations responsible for research and reports on improving the quality of education in various countries of the world; this is to identify the strengths and weaknesses of students at different age and educational levels and to measure the percentage of academic achievement in various branches and fields. Among these international tests, which the Ministry of Education in the United Arab Emirates is concerned with implementing within the country, is what is known as the PISA test. PISA .

What is the PISA test? PISA International?

It is a set of international tests Program for International Student Assessment Which is held every three years between participating countries and is known by the abbreviation PISA test. PISA International. Which is supervised by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, abbreviated as OECD It is considered the main international standard for measuring the quality of education systems in different countries. The tests are developed by Andres Schleicher to measure the level of students in the study group between the seventh and twelfth grades, which corresponds to the age group of 15 years, in mathematics, science, and reading in English and Arabic. The implementation of the PISA tests is supervised by PISA International within the United Arab Emirates Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development in cooperation with the Ministry of Education. PISA tests have been developed PISA The first international was held in 2000, and then countries participated and joined the test with the succession of its sessions.

PISA Test Criteria PISA International.

The PISA international tests are conducted as part of an international research in the fields of education to determine the extent of a student’s readiness for the compulsory education stage. They are conducted in three scientific branches: mathematics, science, and reading, in Arabic and English, or in the mother tongue of the participating country in general.

The tests focus on examining students' skills in scientific reasoning and deduction, natural knowledge, and employing the studied information in practical life, by reaching results based on approved evidence and proofs. The international PISA tests also examine the student's ability to use scientific and cognitive skills in mixed and overlapping scientific fields that depend on the integration of more than one branch of study. This determines the extent of the student's readiness to study specialized branches in the compulsory education stage.

The UAE Ministry of Education translates the test questions according to the UAE cultural standards under the supervision of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, which is responsible for conducting the test. The Ministry also supervises the pilot models of the international PISA tests.

The importance of international PISA tests

The importance of the international PISA tests stems from their use to achieve several goals, which are:

• Measuring student skills in science.
• Measuring student skills in mathematics.
• Measuring student reading skills.
• Measuring student skills in Arabic and English languages ​​for the United Arab Emirates.
• Measuring the student's ability to reach results supported by evidence and proof.
• Measuring the student's ability to integrate different branches of science.
• Measuring the student's cognitive and skill achievement.
• Measuring the extent to which the student can apply the information of the study materials in daily life.
• Measuring the student's problem-solving skills.
• Measuring the student's readiness for the compulsory specialized education stage.
• Identifying the student’s weaknesses to develop an appropriate development plan and training programs.
• Identify strengths in curricula and teaching methods to enhance them.
• Measuring and determining the level of the current educational environment within schools in the country, whether governmental or private.
• Report on changes in educational curricula.
• Determine the impact of new development programmes by comparing them with the results of the study in the previous round of the international PISA tests.

PISA International Test Specifications

The questions in the international PISA tests are a set of questions in science, mathematics and reading. In each session, the focus is on one subject, in which the questions may reach 70 percent, while the percentage of questions in each of the other subjects is about 15 percent. For example, the test may focus on reading in a session, as was the case in its first session in 2000, or on mathematics, as was the case in its second session in 2003.

Duration of the international PISA tests :

The PISA international tests are held once every three years among participating countries. The test time is set at two hours to complete the questions.

Stages of the international PISA tests :

The international PISA tests are conducted in several stages, which are:

• First, participating schools are selected by the organization supervising the tests, which is the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) .
• Second: Coordination is made with the supervising authority within the country to supervise implementation, which is the Ministry of Education within the United Arab Emirates.
• Third: Participating schools prepare their students to participate in the test by developing their skills and training them on PISA Arabic language test models .
• Fourth: The PISA international tests course will be held within the period specified for it according to the course date.
• Fifth: After completing the tests, the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) sends a detailed report to the relevant authority within the country, the UAE Ministry of Education, to inform it of the points it has achieved and to propose an appropriate education development plan for it after comparing the results between countries.

Participate in the international PISA tests .

Participating countries pay the subscription fees to the international supervision body, and the student or his guardian does not pay any subscription fees or submit any application to participate in the international PISA tests or other similar international tests.

Student grades are not considered a measure of success or failure, but rather a measure of the student’s readiness for higher education and determining the appropriate development methodology for the country.

PISA international test results .

The test results are announced and a detailed report is sent to the relevant authority in charge of education affairs in the country after comparing the results of the participating country with another country that is more developed and advanced politically and economically, and informing the country of its ranking among the countries and its points in the tests, and providing some advice and consultations to raise the educational level in the country concerned.

UAE results in the international PISA test :

In the last session prior to the PISA international tests, the United Arab Emirates had achieved significant and noticeable progress in the science and mathematics branches, with a difference of 8 points from before.

The country also seeks guidance from the data of the international PISA tests in its plan to develop the educational methodology, draw up appropriate development policies, and identify appropriate training and guidance courses for students to correct the educational path within the country. This was announced by the Ministry of Education in the United Arab Emirates after the end of the international PISA tests held in 2018. The results were announced by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) at a conference in Paris, the French capital, held specifically to announce the results.