PIRLS 2026 Fact Sheet

Long title
Progress in International Reading Literacy Study
Frequency of data collection
Every 5 years
Previous cycles
2001, 2006, 2011, 2016, 2021
Schedule
Objectives
  • Monitor system-level trends in student achievement in reading at Grade 4 in a global context
  • Evaluate students’ reading proficiency by assessing their ability to understand and interpret texts across four cognitive processes within two main reading purposes
  • Gather and provide information and data for improving learning and teaching in reading
  • Help improve the teaching of reading and the acquisition of reading skills around the world
  • Gain a better understanding of education systems and enable countries to make informed decisions for improving their education policies
  • Compare education systems worldwide in terms of their organization, instructional resources, and practices related to their students’ reading achievement, thus allowing them to learn from the experience of others in designing effective education policy
Study framework (summary)

Reading framework

  • Purposes for reading
    • Literary experience
    • Acquire and use information
  • Processes of comprehension
    • Focus on and retrieve explicitly stated information
    • Make straightforward inferences
    • Interpret and integrate ideas and information
    • Evaluate and critique content and textual elements

 

Contextual framework

  • Home contexts
    • Early learning experiences 
    • Home environment  for learning
  • School contexts
    • School characteristics and composition of student body
    • School resources
    • School climate
  • Classroom contexts
    • Teacher qualifications
    • Classroom reading instruction
    • Information technology in the classroom
    • Classroom climate
  • Student characteristics, attitudes, and behaviors
    • Student demographics
    • Student experiences at school
    • Student reading attitudes and behaviors
    • Student use of information technology 
  • National contexts
    • Organization of education system
    • Reading curriculum

Participating entities

Numbers

Currently, about 55 countries and four benchmarking entities plan to participate in PIRLS 2026. (Further details will become available once the field test is complete.)

 

List

Countries: 

Forthcoming

 

Benchmarking entities: 

Forthcoming

Target population and sample (summary)

Target population (students)

Grade representing 4 years of formal schooling, counting from the first year of ISCED Level 1

 

Sample (students)

Per country: 150–200 schools, 1 or 2 classes per school, approx. 4,000 students.

 

Data collection techniques and instruments (summary)

Student achievement

Formats

  • For the first time, PIRLS is being administered entirely in a digital format incorporating what was previously known as ePIRLS online reading tasks.
  • While PIRLS 2026 is fully digital, it is not a study of digital or internet skills but remains an assessment of reading comprehension, as outlined in the assessment framework.

Content

  • Each test block contains one text or online reading task and its accompanying questions (“items”).
  • The PIRLS 2026 assessment consists of 18 blocks, half assessing reading for literary experience and half assessing reading to acquire and use information. 
  • The 18 blocks are arranged into 18 booklets, with each block appearing in two booklets.
  • PIRLS uses a matrix-sampling technique: Each student is randomly assigned a test booklet consisting of two blocks, one literary and one informational.
  • The study also uses a group adaptive assessment design
    • There are three levels of block difficulty (difficult, medium, and easy). 
    • There are two levels of booklet difficulty (more difficult and less difficult), and the 18 booklets are divided evenly into these levels
  • Each country administers the entire assessment with the balance of more difficult and less difficult booklets varying with the estimated average reading ability of the student population in the country.

 

Background questionnaires

  • Early Learning Survey (Home Questionnaire)
  • School Questionnaire 
  • Teacher Questionnaire
  • Student Questionnaire
  • Curriculum Questionnaire (completed by National Research Coordinators)

 

Descriptive encyclopedia chapters

Each country contributes a chapter that provides additional details about their education systems and reading curricula.

Initiator
Contact

IEA

Keizersgracht 311

1016 EE Amsterdam

The Netherlands

Tel.: +31 20 625 3625

Fax: +31 20 420 7136

E-mail: secretariat@iea.nl

URL: http://www.iea.nl

 

TIMSS & PIRLS International Study Center

Boston College

140 Commonwealth Ave.

Chestnut Hill, MA 02467

USA

Tel: +1 617 552 1600

Fax: +1 617 552 1203

E-mail: timssandpirls@bc.edu

URL: http://timssandpirls.bc.edu/index.html