Work

Trends in international assessments and outcomes in adulthood

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: International assessments such as PISA and TIMSS are widely used to compare the academic proficiency of adolescents across countries and over time. Do scores on these assessments predict outcomes in adulthood? Combining data from PISA, TIMSS, PIAAC, and 18 representative global surveys, I find evidence that cohorts with higher scores on the PISA assessment, which tests the application of knowledge to "real world" scenarios, score higher on assessments of adulthood skills, obtain higher levels of education, and have higher incomes as adults. Conversely, I find much weaker evidence for similar patterns with respect to the TIMSS assessment, which tests curricular knowledge.

Source: Economics of Education Review

DOI: 10.1016/j.econedurev.2025.102720

Author: Samuel Stemper

Institution: University of Auckland

Language: English

Topic: School Choice and Performance

Subfield: Education

Field: Social Sciences

Domain: Social Sciences

SDGs: Quality education, Reduced inequalities

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $2,700