Canadian students' test scores slip sharply in reading and math, OECD study shows

Canadian 15-year-olds are still outperforming most of the world on international standardized tests, but the trajectory is troubling. About 24,600 Canadian students scored 490 in reading and 485 in math on the 2025 OECD PISA assessment — both above the OECD average and among the upper tier globally. Yet those numbers hide a steeper decline: reading fell 30 points since 2018, math dropped 27 points in the same span, and science slipped 24 points since 2006.

The OECD considers any change greater than 20 points statistically significant — equivalent to one school year's worth of learning. A 20-point drop means students perform at the level expected of 14-year-olds in the previous cycle.

Louis Volante, a professor at Brock University who researches international achievement testing, called the post-pandemic declines "very concerning." He points to digital distractions, increased AI use since the last test cycle, and teacher shortages worldwide as factors driving the downturn. "When you put those three together, they are being attributed to really having a negative impact on overall rating scores," he said.

The 2025 PISA cycle recorded the lowest OECD-average performance observed so far. Learning outcomes stagnated or continued to fall across all OECD participants. Canada's earlier performance drop in 2022 reflected COVID-19 disruptions; the 2025 results suggest that disruption is persisting. A joint statement from Canadian education ministers this week stressed "the imperative for ongoing attention to educational outcomes." Yukon, Northwest Territories and Nunavut did not participate in the 2025 assessment.