NESA Kicks Off Campaign to Prepare Students for PISA 2025 Assessment

The Ministry of Education, through the National School Examination and Inspection Agency (NESA), launched an awareness campaign on March 17, 2025, at ES Kanombe/EFOTEC to prepare students for the PISA 2025 international assessment. This assessment is organized by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).

The PISA (Programme for International Student Assessment) international student assessment is designed to measure the skills of students aged 15 to 16 in mathematics, reading, and science, testing them with real-world problems encountered in everyday life.

This assessment takes place every three years and provides valuable data to help countries improve their education systems and promote learning. In Rwanda, the assessment will occur in 213 schools selected across all regions of the country.

Caleb Kugumaho, a student at ES Kanombe, expressed his excitement, saying the assessment will help him develop critical thinking and improve his math and science skills. He stated, “This assessment will help me think more deeply and strengthen my abilities in mathematics and science.”

Another student, Ingabe Gerardine, pointed out that this assessment could be particularly intimidating for girls, as many of them are afraid of these kinds of tests. She added that she will prepare carefully for it and make it a source of pride for her country.

Dr. Bahati Bernard, Director General of NESA, explained that this assessment is eagerly awaited and will reflect the state of education in Rwanda. He said, “This assessment is organized by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), where in these countries, a 15-year-old child who completes primary school is expected to make decisions for his future life. They look at the knowledge he has acquired to integrate into daily life. If he decides to continue further studies, they assess the skills he has acquired to continue learning these subjects.”

Dr. Bahati Bernard also emphasized that this assessment is not based on what the child has learned in books, but rather on his or her ability to apply the acquired knowledge to solve real-life problems. It also does not depend on the school curriculum of a specific country. He urged the participating students to take this assessment to heart, as passing it would be a source of pride for Rwanda.

PISA 2025 is scheduled to take place from April 27 to June 7, 2025.

The PISA program, organized every three years by the OECD, was launched in 2000. This year, 91 countries will participate in this assessment, including five African countries: Rwanda, Kenya, Zambia, Morocco, and Egypt.