The International Schools' Assessment (ISA) is a set of tests used by international schools and schools with an international focus to monitor student performance over time and to confirm that their internal assessments are aligned with international expectations of performance.
The assessment is based on the frameworks of the OECD’s Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) and is therefore not specific to a particular curriculum. Participating schools follow a diverse range of curricula, including International Baccalaureate (IB), English National,
USA curriculum and more.
ISA tests assess complex, higher-order thinking skills using a range of different question types, allowing students greater scope to respond in a variety of ways. These include:
- simple and complex multiple-choice questions
- interactive questions (where a student needs to place labels onto an image or chart, or select the correct position on a diagram)
- short answer questions
- extended writing tasks.
The ISA has been specifically developed to be culturally diverse and suitable for students whose first language may not be English. However, it is intended for schools that have English as a language of instruction.
The assessments are available for grades 3-10 for:
- Mathematical Literacy
- Reading
- Scientific Literacy
- Writing (Narrative and Expository tasks)
Relevant article: ISA Learning Areas
Trusted by schools since 2002, the tests are taken across the world, allowing a truly international
comparison. Every year around 60 000 students from hundreds of schools around the world participate in the ISA.