Ukrainian teenagers maintained their learning outcomes after the sharp decline recorded in 2022. At the same time, nearly one in three PISA-2025 participants achieved results below the basic level in reading, mathematics, and science simultaneously. The new data show which skills require the most attention and what schools can change right now.
PISA (Programme for International Student Assessment) is a large-scale international study of education quality. It shows how well 15-year-old teenagers can apply the knowledge and skills they have acquired in real-life situations.
On September 8, 2026, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development published the results of the international study of education quality, PISA-2025. Ukraine participated in it for the third time. The testing involved 8,962 teenagers from 297 educational institutions in 17 regions.
PISA assesses how well 15-year-old students can apply knowledge in real-life situations. The study covers reading, mathematical, and scientific literacy. In the 2025 cycle, the innovative domain “Learning in the Digital World” was added.
PISA-2025 Results in Ukraine: Key Figures
The average results of Ukrainian teenagers are:
- 448 points in science;
- 431 points in mathematics;
- 418 points in reading.
Ukraine lags behind the OECD average by 34 points in science, 32 points in mathematics, and 43 points in reading. Approximately, this gap corresponds to one and a half years of learning in science and mathematics and two years in reading.
Compared with PISA-2022, the results have not changed statistically significantly. Ukrainian education has stabilized its performance after the previous sharp decline, although it has not yet returned to the 2018 level.
The context of these results is also important. PISA-2025 participants began their education in 2016. They encountered the pandemic in the fifth grade and have been studying during a full-scale war since the seventh grade. They also started primary school before the implementation of the “New Ukrainian School” reform, so the PISA-2025 results do not assess the effectiveness of NUS.
Basic Competencies: Gaps That Accumulate Over the Years
Thirty-five percent of Ukrainian students achieved results below the basic level in science, 45% in reading, and 46% in mathematics. Overall, 56.4% of teenagers demonstrate a low result in at least one domain, while 29.3% do so in all three simultaneously.
Learning gaps rarely emerge in a single year, and each new topic builds on previous knowledge. Therefore, it is important for schools to see students’ actual level of understanding, identify difficulties in time, and create opportunities to catch up.
This approach is emphasized in the schools of A+ Education Holding. Its teaching team assesses both the knowledge students have acquired and their ability to use it in new situations.
“A school can do much more than we sometimes think, and many changes do not require a reform from above. First of all, it is worth stopping focusing solely on whether a child has completed the curriculum and starting to regularly check what they have actually understood and what they can do with the knowledge they have gained. If a student has not mastered basic mathematics in the seventh grade, moving them to the eighth grade along with the curriculum does not solve the problem—it only makes it more difficult. Therefore, a school should build an early diagnostic system, identify each child’s specific gaps, and have a mechanism for helping them catch up.”
“PISA shows how capable a student is of using knowledge beyond the boundaries of a familiar textbook exercise. Even today, a school can change the very nature of learning: reduce the amount of rote reproduction, work more with information, argumentation, real-world problems, cross-curricular connections, and situations where there is no ready-made algorithm,” notes Kateryna Mozhova, Principal of A+ Gymnasium.
PISA assesses the functionality of knowledge. A student needs to read a problem statement, separate important information, establish connections, choose a course of action, and explain the conclusion. Difficulties with one skill often affect results in other subjects.
Reading Literacy: The Most Vulnerable Link
Reading has become the weakest area for Ukrainian teenagers. The average result is 418 points, while the gap with the OECD countries reaches 43 points. The results of 45% of participants from Ukraine are below the basic level of reading literacy. The decline is particularly noticeable among boys. The largest gender gap was recorded in reading.
Reading literacy includes understanding, analyzing, and evaluating information. It helps students identify the main idea, understand the logic of arguments, compare several sources, distinguish fact from opinion, and formulate their own conclusion.
“The problem is that putting letters together into words is only a mechanical skill, whereas reading comprehension is complex cognitive work. We often focus on speed and technique, forgetting about deeper work with meaning. A child does not see hidden contradictions or the logic of an argument because they are not accustomed to asking questions about a text, looking for cause-and-effect relationships, and questioning what is written. True reading is analysis and critical thinking, not simply reading lines aloud quickly.” explains Viktoriia Shchehlakova, Ukrainian Language and Literature Teacher at A+ Gymnasium.
In the institutions of A+ Education Holding, techniques for working with texts are systematically used in different lessons. Students analyze problem statements, compare sources, interpret graphs, substantiate conclusions, and verify information while completing cross-curricular projects.
This work develops thoughtful reading, which is necessary for solving mathematical problems, understanding experimental conditions, comparing different viewpoints, and assessing the reliability of information online.
Mathematical Literacy: Knowledge That Works in Real Life
Ukraine’s average mathematics result is 431 points. Fifty-four percent of teenagers reach the basic level or higher, while the results of the remaining 46% are below it. This is the largest share among the three main PISA-2025 domains.
Mathematical literacy involves the ability to recognize a problem in a real-life situation, translate it into mathematical language, choose a solution method, and evaluate the result obtained. Students need flexible thinking, attention to data, and a willingness to find their own algorithm.
In the schools of A+ Education Holding, mathematics is studied through practical problems, research, and cross-curricular projects. Students analyze data, identify relationships, predict results, and justify their decisions. This work develops systems thinking and helps them see the bigger picture behind individual conditions and numbers.
Solving multistep tasks requires concentration, working memory, and the ability to plan a sequence of actions. Prolonged stress can weaken each of these cognitive processes.
“When a child constantly feels unsafe, the nervous system operates in a state of heightened readiness to protect itself. Attention is more often directed toward potential threats, making it more difficult to focus on an explanation and absorb new material. Severe or prolonged stress can impair working memory—the ability to retain information and work with it simultaneously. As a result, it becomes more difficult to plan actions, see connections, and find solutions to complex problems. War, repeated air-raid alerts, and insufficient recovery can maintain this state, and a child may demonstrate lower results than their knowledge and abilities would allow,” says Vladyslav Tsykaliuk, Mathematics Teacher at Kyiv Private Lyceum “Respublika STEM”.
Assessment of learning outcomes should take into account both the student’s knowledge and the state in which they complete the task. This helps identify the cause of difficulties more accurately and choose appropriate support.
Scientific Literacy: Investigate, Verify, Prove
Ukraine achieved its highest result among the three main domains in science: 448 points. The results of 35% of participants are below the basic level, while the gap with the OECD average is 34 points.
Ukrainian teenagers perform better on tasks that require them to scientifically explain a phenomenon. Assessing the design of an investigation and interpreting data proved more difficult. This indicates the need to work more often with hypotheses, experiments, evidence, and reasoned conclusions.
“It is possible to engage in science and search for answers to questions when a child is genuinely interested. A true ‘why?’ emerges when a student has the freedom to choose a research topic and ways to find an answer, put forward their own assumptions, and not be afraid of making mistakes.
It is important for a child to see the practical meaning of their work and understand where and why the knowledge they have gained can be applied. Then their own hypotheses, testing those hypotheses, working with evidence, and searching for a well-supported conclusion come to the forefront,” believes Davyd Kyrychenko, Geography and Science Teacher at Kyiv Private Lyceum “Respublika STEM”.
The research-based approach is an important part of learning at A+ Education Holding. Students conduct experiments, work in laboratories, analyze data, present their results, and learn to defend their own position. In this process, a mistake becomes material for a new hypothesis and further testing. This is how scientific thinking develops: children learn to work with uncertainty, search for evidence, and revise their conclusions if the data do not support them.
How Prolonged Stress Affects Learning
The PISA-2025 results reflect the experience of teenagers who have been studying for several years amid instability. The pandemic, distance learning, the full-scale war, air-raid alerts, and disrupted routines affect concentration, memory, motivation, and the pace of work.
“It becomes more difficult for a teenager to plan their actions, analyze information, and work on complex tasks while constantly feeling tense. Even familiar learning tasks may require more time and additional effort, while difficult ones may feel like an excessive burden. This reduces motivation and confidence in one’s abilities. Psychological support, sufficient rest, a predictable routine, and a safe emotional atmosphere are important for restoring the ability to work,” emphasizes Iryna Chyhyryk, Practical Psychologist at Kyiv Private Lyceum “Respublika STEM”.
In the institutions of A+ Education Holding, psychological support is part of the educational process. Psychologists, tutors, and teachers help students restore their ability to concentrate, withstand intellectual нагрузки, and gradually catch up on missed material. A predictable routine and a safe environment create the foundation for academic progress.
Learning in the Digital World: A New Form of Literacy
The innovative PISA-2025 domain “Learning in the Digital World” assessed teenagers’ ability to use digital tools, models, and algorithms for learning and solving practical problems.
On the scale “Using Computational Thinking to Solve Problems,” Ukraine scored 478 points compared with the OECD average of 500. Programming was a stronger component for Ukrainian students, while modeling was weaker. Forty-six percent of teenagers did not reach the third level, which is considered basic in this domain.
Ukrainian schoolchildren actively use artificial intelligence. Fifty-four percent of participants turn to AI chatbots for help with learning at least once a week. The OECD average is 46%. In addition, 78% of Ukrainian teenagers reported that they evaluate the quality of information generated by chatbots at least occasionally during lessons. Digital literacy today combines technical skills, computational thinking, and the ability to evaluate information.
“Artificial intelligence has already become a powerful learning tool. The task of educators today is to teach children to use it competently, consciously, and responsibly. The key skill is the ability to formulate a prompt correctly, critically evaluate the response, verify facts, understand the information received, and explain it in their own words. This work develops critical thinking, teaches students to analyze information, and apply knowledge in practice.
A student can use AI to search for ideas, check their own solutions, analyze information, and gain a deeper understanding of a topic. Thoughtless copying of ready-made answers deprives them of an important part of the learning process.
The ability to work with artificial intelligence is gradually becoming one of the basic skills of a modern person. Therefore, our task as educators is to make AI a tool that helps develop students’ thinking and preserve their intellectual independence,” believes Vitalii Sandul, Head of the Educational IT Department at A+ Education Holding.
In the institutions of A+ Education Holding, digital technologies are used for learning, research, and creating students’ own projects. Students learn to ask precise questions, analyze the results they receive, verify information using reliable sources, and take responsibility for the final decision. The aim of this approach is to establish a culture of conscious technology use in which AI supports children’s thinking, expands their opportunities for exploration, and helps them engage more deeply with learning material.
Educational Inequality: A Gap of More Than Three Years of Learning
The difference between the results of students from rural areas and large cities reaches 61 points in mathematics, 65 points in science, and 68 points in reading. Approximately, this corresponds to more than three years of learning.
Educational outcomes are influenced by socioeconomic conditions, place of residence, access to educational and digital resources, staffing, and the ability to attend in-person classes regularly.
According to estimates by heads of educational institutions, 61% of Ukrainian students study in places where the educational process is complicated by a lack of materials and equipment. Digital resources are insufficient for 54%. About one-third study in institutions that lack teachers. These figures highlight the value of a fully equipped educational environment: a professional team, modern equipment, laboratories, access to digital resources, psychological support, and opportunities for practical learning.
What the PISA-2025 Results Mean for the Modern School
PISA-2025 recorded the resilience of Ukrainian education under exceptionally difficult circumstances. The study also outlined specific areas for action:
- early diagnosis and closing learning gaps;
- developing reading literacy across all subjects;
- practical problems based on real-world contexts;
- research-based and cross-curricular learning;
- working with information, data, and evidence;
- conscious use of digital tools and AI;
- psychological support and a safe educational environment.
For A+ Education Holding, these conclusions align with an approach in which students ask questions, work on real-world tasks, search for their own solutions, justify their positions, and understand the practical meaning of knowledge.
Such changes begin in every lesson: with a thoughtful question about a text, a problem without a ready-made algorithm, an original hypothesis, verification of a source, and a willingness to revise one’s conclusion. This is how knowledge becomes a tool for learning, decision-making, and action in real life.
