New OECD program will test adults' skills

Following its successful PISA programme for testing the educational attainments of 15-year old high-school-students, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) is launching a challenging new project to assess the knowledge and skills of adults.

The OECD Programme for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC) will assess the level and distribution of adult skills across countries, focusing on the cognitive and workplace skills needed for successful participation in today’s work environment. PIAAC will also gather data on participants’ educational backgrounds and professional attainments, as well as their ability to use information and communications technology (ICT) and their general levels of literacy and numeracy.

Following development work over the next two years and a field trial planned for 2010, the first tests will take place in 2011. The project will build on the success of OECD’s Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), which recently completed its third round of high-school student evaluations. PIAAC will help governments to go further in evaluating and designing education and training policies by providing comparative information on skills among their adult populations.

For further about OECD's international assessment programs, visit the News and Events section of the OECD website.