The latest PISA report from the OECD, released on Tuesday, paints a sobering picture: 15-year-olds across the globe are struggling more with maths and reading than in previous years. The decline is particularly sharp in these core subjects, and experts point to the pervasive influence of smartphones, social media, and artificial intelligence as contributing factors.
Andreas Schleicher, the founder of the PISA tests, offered a blunt analogy: “You don't get fit by watching sports. You get fit by doing sports.” He argues that learning is no different. “Learning doesn't come through the consumption of content; learning comes by engaging with ideas to compare and contrast. And AI can hollow out that very process. That's what we observe.”
But what about the adults? Are we any better? A 2024 study by the Reading Agency found that half of UK adults don't read for pleasure, while a Eurostat survey from the same year revealed that nearly half of EU citizens hadn't read a single book in the past twelve months. It's a fair question: how much better would we fare than the 15-year-olds?
Now's your chance to find out. Below are sample questions from the PISA 2022 assessment. Answers are at the bottom—no peeking!
Mathematics
Question 1: Alex drew the following pattern of red and blue triangles. The first four rows are shown below.
(Image: OECD)
What percentage of the triangles in the first four rows are blue?
- A) 37.5%
- B) 50.0%
- C) 60.0%
- D) 62.5%
Question 2: Based on the graph shown, are the following statements supported? Answer Yes or No for each.
- The number of DVDs sold declined by about 50% from 2008 through 2014.
- The number of DVDs sold declined by the same amount each year from 2008 through 2014.
- The slope of the line is the average yearly decline in DVDs sold from 2008 to 2014.
Science
Question 1: Cotton production has significant environmental impacts. Which of the following actions can reduce these negative effects? Select all that apply.
- Use water more efficiently
- Reduce the quality of the cotton textiles produced
- Increase the number of staff that cotton farms employ
- Use pesticides that are harmful only to the pest species being targeted
- Dispose of chemical waste in areas far away from the sites involved in cotton production
Question 2: When lightning strikes, you see the flash before you hear the thunder. Which statement best explains why?
- The speed of light through air is faster than the speed of sound through air.
- Light does not need to travel through the air to be seen, but sound does.
- Eyes detect light faster than ears detect sound.
Reading
Question 1: Read the sentences and decide if they make sense. Answer YES or NO.
Question 2: Your aunt, who raises chickens, shares a forum conversation she had about an injured hen. What does the forum user Ivana_88 want to know?
- If she can give aspirin to an injured hen
- How often she can give aspirin to an injured hen
- How to contact a veterinarian about an injured hen
- If she can determine the pain level of an injured hen
Financial Literacy
Question: Greg buys a bike and takes out a loan from the bike shop's in-store finance company. How much is Greg likely to pay?
- Less than 600 zeds
- More than 600 zeds
- Exactly 600 zeds
Answers
Mathematics: 1. A, 2. Yes, No, Yes.
Science: 1. 'Use water more efficiently' and 'Use pesticides that are harmful only to the pest species being targeted'. 2. 'The speed of light through air is faster than the speed of sound through air.'
The PISA results have sparked concern across Europe, where one in three young Europeans struggle with basic reading, according to a recent expert warning. The findings also come as the EU races to update its Arctic strategy amid global competition, and as UN rights chief urges global action to curb AI's existential threat—a technology that may be hollowing out learning.
So, how did you do? If you aced the questions, perhaps you're the exception. But if you stumbled, you're in good company—and maybe it's time to pick up a book or a puzzle.
