PISA 2029 Will Test Students on AI Literacy for the First Time
The OECD has appointed the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) to lead development of the next cycle of the Programme for International Student Assessment, with a significant addition: students will be assessed on their ability to engage critically with artificial intelligence.
PISA, which first ran in 1997, tests 15-year-olds on how well they apply reading, maths and science knowledge to real-world problems. The 2029 cycle will introduce Media and AI Literacy as an assessment domain - the first time any international student assessment has measured this skill at scale.
What the AI Literacy Assessment Will Actually Measure
The assessment won't test whether students can use specific tools. Instead, it will measure whether they can access, analyse and critically evaluate digital information, including misinformation and disinformation.
ACER CEO Lisa Rodgers said the focus is on students' capacity to engage "proactively, critically and responsibly in digital environments." This means schools should embed AI competencies within broader digital literacy rather than treating them as a separate subject.
The OECD released a draft framework earlier this year outlining clear competencies and assessment considerations for teaching media and AI literacy in schools.
Reading Assessment Gets Sharper
The 2029 cycle will also refine how PISA measures reading. Rather than testing recall, the assessment will focus on whether students can locate information, make meaning, and critically evaluate what they read across multiple source texts.
This matters in digital environments especially, where students must judge source credibility and synthesise information from different places. The shift targets deep comprehension rather than surface-level skills.
Accessibility Built Into Design
ACER is using digital platforms to reduce barriers to participation. The approach applies universal design principles and built-in tools available to all students from the start.
More complex accessibility solutions are still being developed. ACER will consult with PISA 2029 participants and the OECD to understand accessibility needs across different national and cultural contexts.
Field trials begin in 2028, with the main survey running in 2029.
For educators looking to prepare students for this assessment, see AI for Education and the AI Learning Path for Teachers.
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