PISA - Program for International Student Assessment PISA Assessment Administration Questions and Answers — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A high school has been selected to participate in PISA. The principal appoints a teacher to manage all logistical aspects of the assessment, including preparing student lists, scheduling the test sessions, and acting as the main point of contact for the PISA National Center. What is the official PISA title for this crucial administrative role?
- Test Administrator
- OECD Field Representative
- School Coordinator (Correct answer)
- Lead Proctor
Correct answer: School Coordinator
The School Coordinator is the designated individual within a participating school responsible for liaising with the PISA National Center and overseeing all administrative and logistical tasks required for the successful implementation of the PISA assessment at the school level.
Question 2: Which of the following best describes the two-stage stratified sampling methodology used to select students for the main PISA assessment?
- First, all 15-year-olds in a country are listed, and a random sample is drawn directly from this national list.
- First, schools are randomly selected from a comprehensive national list, and then a random sample of 15-year-old students is selected from within those chosen schools. (Correct answer)
- First, administrative regions are selected, and then all 15-year-old students within the largest school in each region are tested.
- First, schools volunteer to participate, and then the PISA National Center selects a representative sample of students from the volunteer pool.
Correct answer: First, schools are randomly selected from a comprehensive national list, and then a random sample of 15-year-old students is selected from within those chosen schools.
PISA uses a two-stage sampling process. In the first stage, schools with 15-year-old students are systematically sampled from a comprehensive national list, with the probability of selection being proportional to the school's size. In the second stage, a fixed number of eligible 15-year-old students are randomly sampled from within each of the selected schools.
Question 3: A Test Administrator is preparing for the PISA assessment session. The session consists of two main parts: the cognitive test and the student questionnaire. According to standard PISA procedures, what is the approximate total duration of these two parts combined?
- 90 minutes
- 180 minutes
- 60 minutes
- 120 minutes (Correct answer)
Correct answer: 120 minutes
The standard PISA computer-based assessment is designed as a two-hour (120-minute) session for the cognitive test. The student questionnaire is designed to take approximately 35 minutes, but the overall testing window is managed as a single block that typically totals two hours for both components.
Question 4: During a PISA test session, which of the following actions by a Test Administrator constitutes a serious breach of test security and administration protocol?
- Announcing to students when there are 30 minutes of testing time remaining.
- Allowing a student to go to the restroom while accompanied by a hall monitor.
- Explaining the on-screen tool functions, like the highlighter, before the test begins.
- Making a photocopy of a test booklet or taking a screenshot of a test question. (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Making a photocopy of a test booklet or taking a screenshot of a test question.
PISA test materials are secure and confidential. Reproducing any part of the cognitive test, whether by photocopying, screenshot, or any other means, is a major violation of test security protocols that undermines the integrity and validity of the assessment.
Question 5: For a country's PISA data to be deemed valid and included in the main international comparisons, it must meet rigorous technical standards for participation. What are the minimum required response rates for schools (after replacement) and students, respectively?
- 85% for schools and 80% for students (Correct answer)
- 80% for schools and 85% for students
- 90% for schools and 80% for students
- 80% for schools and 75% for students
Correct answer: 85% for schools and 80% for students
The OECD's technical standards for PISA require a minimum school participation rate of 85% after including any replacement schools that were sampled. Additionally, within the participating schools, a minimum student response rate of 80% is required.
Question 6: A student selected to participate in PISA has a formally documented disability and an Individualized Education Program (IEP) that allows for accommodations like extended time. Which of the following is a primary way the PISA administration addresses this student's needs while maintaining standardization?
- The student is automatically excluded to ensure data is comparable.
- The student's classroom teacher is allowed to paraphrase difficult questions.
- The student may be offered a separate testing session with extended time or the shorter 'Une Heure' (UH) assessment form. (Correct answer)
- The student is given the test with all other students but their results are flagged and not included in the national average.
Correct answer: The student may be offered a separate testing session with extended time or the shorter 'Une Heure' (UH) assessment form.
PISA aims to be as inclusive as possible. For students with special educational needs, accommodations such as separate testing sessions and extended time are permitted. For students who cannot participate in the full two-hour assessment, a special one-hour test form (the 'Une Heure' or UH form) is available.
A high school has been selected to participate in PISA.
The principal appoints a teacher to manage all logistical aspects of the assessment, including preparing student lists, scheduling the test sessions, and acting as the main point of contact for the PISA National Center.
What is the official PISA title for this crucial administrative role?