Singapore students rank top in reading, second in maths and science in OECD study

SINGAPORE - Singapore’s 15-year-olds have emerged among the top performers in an international benchmarking study to measure how well education systems are preparing students for complex challenges and the future.

The Republic came in first for reading, and second for mathematics and science in the Programme for International Student Assessment (Pisa) 2025, based on the performance of 6,551 students across 157 schools here.

Singapore was ranked second in computational problem-solving, a new section that evaluated how 15-year-olds break down complex tasks and design algorithms to solve real-world challenges.

A record 91 countries and economies took part in the latest assessment, up from 81 in the previous test in 2022. The latest study, which is done every three years by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), was released on Sept 8.

The Pisa 2025 survey focused on science, with mathematics and reading as minor areas. It also assessed for the first time learning in the digital world, measuring students’ capacities to build knowledge and solve problems using computational tools.

China and Singapore were the highest performers across science, mathematics and reading in 2025, with China leading in math and science, and Singapore emerging first in reading.

Estonia, Japan, Korea, Macau, Taiwan and Britain also ranked among the top 10 performing education systems in all three domains. Macau came out tops for computational problem solving, a new segment that assessed how well students can solve problems using computational practices such as analysing data.

The Pisa report noted that many parents still wrongly regard computer science as a specialist subject, useful mainly for aspiring software engineers.

“This is a mistake. The real value of computational problem solving lies not in coding itself, but in the habits it develops,” said the report, citing skills like logical reasoning, pattern recognition, and the ability to break complex challenges into manageable parts.

“These are becoming essential skills for a world increasingly shaped by technology and data.”

Test questions in this area examined students’ capacity to use modelling and programming tools, conduct experiments and build and debug computational artefacts - such as programming a robotic claw to sort objects.

Overall, Pisa 2025 recorded the lowest OECD-average performance observed so far in science, reading and mathematics. Science scores have declined gradually over the past decade, and mathematics scores fell especially sharply after 2018.

Reading performance saw the most significant drop over the past decade, after peaking around 2012.

In reading, Pisa saw a decline in the skills that matter most in the AI age: evaluating information, making connections across multiple sources, and thinking critically, said the latest report. Across countries, the share of “hasty readers” – students who rush through texts and give quick but incorrect answers – almost doubled between 2018 and 2025.

Compared with the 2022 results, students in Singapore recorded lower scores in mathematics and reading, and maintained their performance in science.

In a statement, the Education Ministry said the results affirm the strengths of students here in applying knowledge to solve complex problems and being engaged with learning, “putting them in good stead for lifelong learning”.

“More than half of our students are top performers in computational problem solving, compared to a quarter of students in OECD countries on average.”

They are “highly effective” in conducting experiments, analysing data, and building and debugging computational artefacts to solve complex real-world problems, MOE added.

The ministry also noted how Singapore’s proportion of academic all-rounders (15%) - top performers who did well in reading, mathematics, and science - is the highest among all participating education systems, and five times that of the OECD average (3%).

Singapore also continues to have one of the highest proportions of top performers, and one of the lowest shares of low performers in Pisa 2025, across mathematics, reading and science, said MOE.

But the gap between students here with scores in the top and bottom 10 per cent widened across all three areas from 2022 to 2025. This underscores the importance of continuing to support students with different learning needs, said MOE.

The Pisa report noted that Singapore’s students in the top 25 per cent by socio-economic background outperformed those in the bottom 25 per cent by the equivalent of more than four years of learning in science.

MOE said it has been expanding efforts to support academically weaker students and those from more vulnerable backgrounds. It will continue to do so through ComLink+, and by providing additional manpower and resourcing to more schools.

Schools with a higher number of students from disadvantaged backgrounds receive additional manpower and resourcing to support students’ social-emotional and well-being. These efforts include strengthened after-school engagements and partnerships with the community to support students and their families.

ComLink+, a national programme, has family coaches and volunteer befrienders work with lower-income families with children on their plans to support their needs and aspirations.

Speaking to The Straits Times on the findings, OECD’s director for education and skills Dr Andreas Schleicher said reading is a “great strength” in Singapore. “Reading is the mother of all skills. If you can’t read, you’re not going to be successful in anything else.”

MOE’s director-general of education Liew Wei Li said the Pisa results provide useful insights about Singapore’s students as learners, showing that they are curious, perseverant, and care about the world. This is on top of having strong foundations in reading, mathematical and scientific literacies, and competencies essential for thriving in life and at work.

“The findings also show where we can do better. We will continue to help our children, regardless of their background or starting point, to thrive and learn confidently,” she said.

Are you as smart as Singapore’s 15-year-olds?

Try answering these four science and computational problem-solving questions.