PISA's first computing test puts UK above the OECD average
Almost two-thirds of 15-year-olds in OECD countries reached the benchmark in a new test of computational problem solving. UK pupils scored 523 points against an OECD average of 500.
The OECD published the first results from a new PISA test of computing skills on 8 September 2026. UK pupils scored above the OECD average.
PISA tests 15-year-olds in 91 countries and economies. The OECD said almost two-thirds of students in OECD countries reached the relevant level in computational problem solving. Only half reached it while also showing basic skills in science, reading and mathematics. The Scottish Government's report defines the skill as using tools such as programming and computer modelling to solve unfamiliar problems.
Technology and AI can strengthen learning and help prepare young people for the future, but only when used purposefully and not as a substitute for attention, effort and understanding.
The same report says the UK scored 523 points against an OECD average of 500. England scored 525, Scotland 515, Northern Ireland 513 and Wales 501. Japan had the highest score among the OECD countries listed, at 557. In England, boys scored 537 and girls 512.
PISA also asked about AI. The OECD's UK note says 31% of UK students used AI chatbots to help them learn at least once a week, against an OECD average of 46%. The OECD said students who did not use AI to draft written work outperformed those who did. These are patterns in test and questionnaire data, not a trial. The Royal Society said the findings show an urgent need to understand AI's uses in education.
For computing teachers, this is the first PISA measure of these skills, so it shows no trend over time. It places no new requirement on schools. The OECD said UK exclusions from the test were above its tolerance, but that the data were fit for reporting. The Department for Education's report says England's sample may not be entirely representative.
The OECD's full results on this test are due in May 2027. Its analysis of how students direct their own learning has not yet been published.
Sources
- OECD PISA 2025: Students' reading and mathematics performance declined sharply across the OECD
- OECD PISA 2025 Results (Volume I): United Kingdom
- Scottish Government Programme for International Student Assessment 2025: national report for Scotland, Learning in the Digital World
- Department for Education (GOV.UK) PISA 2025: national report for England
- Royal Society Response to the latest Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) report published by the OECD