PIRLS — Progress In International Reading Literacy Study is one of the largest international assessments of reading literacy. It is administered by the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA) every five years to assess the reading literacy (in the mother tongue) of students aged 9 to 10 in the fourth grade around the globe.

PIRLS was launched in 2001 as a follow-up to the IEA’s 1991 Reading Literacy Study. By assessing the literary experience and the ability to acquire and use information, it presents objective evidence of primary school students’ reading ability and comparative data of students of the same age around the world. In addition, PIRLS consists of school, teacher and student questionnaires, as well as learning and reading surveys completed by the student’s parents or caregivers, providing a wealth of background information about the home, school and classroom where students learn to read. This extensive information allows educators to assess the impact of factors that have influenced performance, then improve teaching and learning, and help young students become accomplished readers.

In Hong Kong, PIRLS has monitored the reading literacy at the fourth grade every five years since 2001. To know more about previous PIRLS results in Hong Kong, click on the study year.