Why in News?

• The HRD Ministry has signed a pact with the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) for the participation of students from Central government schools in PISA-2021.
• With the signing of the pact, Indian students aged 15 will be able to take the Programme for International Student Assessment or PISA, which is conducted every three years.

PISA 2021:

• It will be a competency-based test, which evaluates the learning level of 15YO students in reading, mathematics and science.
• The outcomes of the test will be used to do more teacher training programmes and curricular reforms.
• The questions in the test will be contextualized according to the Indian setting to help students understand them better.
• Schools run by Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan (KVS), Navodaya Vidyalaya Samiti (NVS) and schools in the UTs of Chandigarh will participate.
• The CBSE and NCERT will be part of the process and activities leading to the actual test.