Concepts and definitions in the PIAAC are in accordance with the demands set by OECD.
Literacy
Literacy is defined as the ability to access, understand, evaluate and reflect on written texts in order to achieve one’s goals, to develop one’s knowledge and potential, and to participate in society. Literacy encompasses a range of skills from the decoding of written words and sentences to the comprehension, interpretation and evaluation of complex texts. This is a basic skill for developing more advanced skills individually, and it is also important for the economic and social development of society. Literacy was mapped both in 2012 and in 2023.
Numeracy
Numeracy is the ability to access, use, reason critically with mathematical content, information and ideas represented in multiple ways in order to engage in and manage the mathematical demands of a range of situations in adult life. Numeracy describes the ability to handle different situations that require mathematical knowledge and demands the ability to solve problems using mathematical information. This is a basic skill in a time when people are facing an increasing amount and a broader spectrum of numerical and mathematical information in daily life. Numeracy was mapped both in 2012 and in 2023.
Adaptive problem solving
Adaptive problem solving is the ability to achieve one’s goals in a dynamic situation in which a method for solution is not immediately available. It requires engaging in cognitive and metacognitive processes to define the problem, search for information, and apply a solution in a variety of information environments and contexts. The capacity to flexibly adapt problem-solving strategies to different contexts and situations is an important skill, both privately and in the workplace. Adaptive problem solving was mapped in 2023.
Problem solving in technology-rich environments
The ability to use digital technology, communication tools and networks to acquire and evaluate information, communicate with others and perform practical tasks. The assessment focuses on the abilities to solve problems for personal, work and civic purposes by setting up appropriate goals and plans, and accessing and making use of information through computers and computer networks.
Skill levels
All skills are measured on a scale from 0 to 500, but it is important to note that these scales are distinct, and scores on the different skill scales should not be directly compared. The scale in each skill area is described based on the difficulty of the tasks placed at various points on the scale. The scales are divided into “skill levels” based on specific score thresholds: six levels for literacy and numeracy (below level 1 and levels 1 to 5) and five levels for adaptive problem-solving (below level 1 and levels 1 to 4).
Skill levels by score achieved (points)
Skill | Below level 1 | Level 1 | Level 2 | Level 3 | Level 4 | Level 5 |
Literacy | 175 or below | 176 - 225 | 226 - 275 | 276 - 325 | 326 - 375 | 376 or more |
Numeracy | 175 or below | 176 - 225 | 226 - 275 | 276 - 325 | 326 - 375 | 376 or more |
Adaptive problem solving | 175 or below | 176 - 225 | 226 - 275 | 276 - 325 | 326 or more | |
Literacy
Level / range score | Description |
Below level 1 (less then 176) | Most adults below Level 1 are able to process meaning at the sentence level. Given a series of sentences that increase
in complexity, they can tell if a sentence does or does not make sense either in terms of plausibility in the real world
(i.e. sentences describing events that can versus those that cannot happen), or in terms of the internal logic of the
sentence (i.e. sentences that are meaningful versus those that are not). Most adults at this level are also able to read
short, simple paragraphs and, at certain points in the text, tell which of two words makes the sentence meaningful and
consistent with the rest of the passage. Finally, they can access single words or numbers in very short texts in order to
answer simple and explicit questions.
The texts below Level 1 are very short and include no or just a few familiar structuring devices such as titles or
paragraph headers. They do not include any distracting information nor navigation devices specific to digital texts (e.g.
menus, links or tabs).
Tasks below Level 1 are simple and very explicit regarding what to do and how to do it. These tasks only require
understanding at the sentence level or across two simple adjacent sentences. When the text involves more than one
sentence, the task merely requires dealing with target information in the form of a single word or phrase. |
Level 1 (176-225) | Adults at Level 1 are able to locate information on a page of text, find a relevant link from a website, and identify
relevant text among multiple options when the relevant information is explicitly cued. They can understand the meaning
of short texts, as well as the organisation of lists or multiple sections within a single page.
The texts at Level 1 may be continuous, non-continuous or mixed and pertain to printed or digital environments. They
typically include a single page with up to a few hundred words and little or no distracting information. Non-continuous
texts may have a list structure (such as a web search engine results page) or include a small number of independent
sections, possibly with pictorial illustrations or simple diagrams. Tasks at Level 1 involve simple questions providing
some guidance as to what needs to be done and a single processing step. There is a direct, fairly obvious match
between the question and target information in the text, although some tasks may require the examination of more than
one piece of information. |
Level 2 (226-275) | At Level 2, adults are able to access and understand information in longer texts with some distracting information. They
can navigate within simple multi-page digital texts to access and identify target information from various parts of the
text. They can understand by paraphrasing or making inferences, based on single or adjacent pieces of information.
Adults at Level 2 can consider more than one criterion or constraint in selecting or generating a response.
The texts at this level can include multiple paragraphs distributed over one long or a few short pages, including simple
websites. Non-continuous texts may feature a two-dimension table or a simple flow diagram. Access to target
information may require the use of signalling or navigation devices typical of longer print or digital texts. The texts may
include some distracting information. Tasks and texts at this level sometimes deal with specific, possibly unfamiliar,
situations. Tasks require respondents to perform indirect matches between the text and content information, sometimes
based on lengthy instructions. Some task statements provide little guidance about how to perform the task. Task
achievement often requires the test taker to either reason about one piece of information or to gather information
across multiple processing cycles. |
Level 3 (276-325) | Adults at Level 3 are able to construct meaning across larger chunks of text or perform multi-step operations in order to
identify and formulate responses. They can identify, interpret or evaluate one or more pieces of information, often
employing varying levels of inference. They can combine various processes (accessing, understanding and evaluating)
if the task requires. Adults at this level can compare and evaluate multiple pieces of information from the text(s) based
on their relevance or credibility.
Texts at this level are often dense or lengthy, including continuous, non-continuous and mixed texts. Information may
be distributed across multiple pages, sometimes arising from multiple sources that provide conflicting information.
Understanding rhetorical structures and text signals becomes more central to successfully completing tasks, especially
when dealing with complex digital texts that require navigation. The texts may include specific, possibly unfamiliar,
vocabulary and argumentative structures. Competing information is often present and sometimes salient, though no
more than the target information. Tasks require the respondent to identify, interpret or evaluate one or more pieces of
information, and often require varying levels of inference. Tasks at Level 3 also often demand that the respondent
disregard irrelevant or inappropriate text content to answer accurately. The most complex tasks at this level include
lengthy or complex questions requiring the identification of multiple criteria, without clear guidance regarding what has
to be done. |
Level 4 (326-375) | At Level 4, adults can read long and dense texts presented on multiple pages in order to complete tasks that involve
accessing, understanding, evaluating and reflecting on the text(s) contents and sources across multiple processing
cycles. Adults at this level can infer what the task is asking for based on complex or implicit statements. Successful
task completion often requires the production of knowledge-based inferences.
Texts and tasks at Level 4 may deal with abstract and unfamiliar situations. They often feature both lengthy content
and a large amount of distracting information, which is sometimes as prominent as the information required to complete
the task. At this level, adults are able to reason based on intrinsically complex questions that share only indirect
matches with the text content, and/or require taking into consideration several pieces of information dispersed
throughout the materials. Tasks may require evaluating subtle evidence claims or persuasive discourse relationships.
Conditional information is frequently present in tasks at this level and must be taken into consideration by the respondent. Response modes may involve assessing or sorting complex assertions. |
Level 5 (376-500) | At Level 5, the assessment provides no direct information on what adults can do. This is mostly because feasibility
concerns (especially with respect to testing time) precluded the inclusion of highly difficult tasks involving complex
interrelated goal structures, very long or complex document sets, or tools containing highly complex texts (e.g.
extensive catalogues, complex menu structures, or lists of unstructured results from search engines), which require
advanced skills to access and process the information they contain. These tasks, however, form part of the construct of
literacy in today's world, and future assessments aiming at a better coverage of the upper end of the proficiency scale
may seek to include testing units tapping into literacy skills at Level 5.
The characteristics of the most difficult tasks at Level 4 offer some insight into what might constitute proficiency at
Level 5. Adults at Level 5 may be able to reason about the task itself, setting up reading goals based on complex and
implicit requests. They can presumably search for and integrate information across multiple, dense texts containing
distracting information in prominent positions. They are able to construct syntheses of similar and contrasting ideas or
points of view; or evaluate evidence-based arguments and the reliability of unfamiliar information sources. Tasks at
Level 5 may also require the application and evaluation of abstract ideas and relationships. Evaluating the reliability of
evidentiary sources and selecting information which is not just topically relevant but also trustworthy may be key to
achievement. |
Numeracy
Level / range score | Description |
Below level 1 (less then 176) | Adults performing below Level 1 demonstrate elementary whole number sense and can access and use mathematical
knowledge to solve single-step problems, where the information is presented using images or simple structured
information set in authentic, commonplace contexts with little or no text or distracting information. The mathematical
content is non-formal and explicit.
Adults at this level can:
• count up to 20 objects that are displayed with varying degrees of organisation (i.e. randomly arranged,
separated into groups or in an array)
• sort events into chronological order
• compare unordered lists of numbers to identify the largest number based on the whole-number
component
• locate data directly from a graph
• perform addition and subtraction with small whole numbers. |
Level 1 (176-225) | Adults at Level 1 demonstrate number sense involving whole numbers, decimals, and common fractions and percentages.
They can access, act on and use mathematical information located in slightly more complex representations set in
authentic contexts where the mathematical content is explicit and uses informal mathematical terminology with little text
and minimal distracting information. They can devise simple strategies using one or two steps to determine the solution.
Adults at this level can:
• interpret simple spatial representations or a scale on a map
• identify and extract information from a table or graphical representation or complete a simple wholenumber bar chart
• identify the largest value in an unordered list, including comparing the decimal part of the number
• interpret and perform basic arithmetic operations, including multiplication and division, with whole
numbers, money and common whole number percentages such as 25% and 50%. |
Level 2 (226-275) | Adults at Level 2 can access, act on and use mathematical information and evaluate simple claims, in tasks set in a variety
of authentic contexts. They are able to interpret and use information presented in slightly more complex forms (e.g.
doughnut charts, stacked bar graphs or linear scales) that includes more formal terminology and more distracting
information. Adults at this level can carry out multi-step mathematical processes.
Adults at this level can:
• use dynamic applications to perform simple measurements, and access and sort data given in tables or
interactive charts
• apply simple proportional reasoning or solve problems satisfying up to two conditions
• formulate processes and expressions to represent situations mathematically, including combining and linking
information
• use mathematical reasoning when reviewing and evaluating the validity of statements
• estimate or perform calculations involving fractions, decimals, time, measurements and less common
percentages or perform routine algorithms such as that used to generate the mean
• substitute into and evaluate contexts involving authentic algebraic formulae
• identify patterns within two-dimensional geometrical representations. |
Level 3 (276-325) | Adults at Level 3 can access, act on, use, reflect on and evaluate authentic mathematical contexts. This requires making
judgements about how to use the given information when developing a solution to a problem. The mathematical
information may be less explicit, embedded in contexts that are not always commonplace, and use representations and
terminology that are more formal and involve greater complexity. Adults at this level can complete tasks where
mathematical processes require the application of two or more steps and where multiple conditions need to be satisfied.
Tasks may also require the use, integration or manipulation of multiple data sources in order to undertake the
mathematical analyses necessary for the specific task.
Adults at this level can:
• estimate or perform calculations with a wide range of whole numbers, decimals, percentages, fractions, and
measurements, including the application of proportional reasoning
• determine a missing value from a data set given the mean
• recognise and use patterns (visual and numerical) to estimate values
• reflect on and use mathematical reasoning when reviewing and evaluating the validity of conclusions drawn
from data, including a limited set of related conditions or statements
• evaluate claims and stated relationships using a variety of data sources
• recognise a formulation using non-standard notation
• use spatial-visualisation to analyse figures, including moving from three- to two-dimensional representations. |
Level 4 (326-375) | Adults at Level 4 can use and apply a range of problem-solving strategies to access, analyse, reason and critically reflect
on and evaluate a broad range of mathematical information that is often presented in unfamiliar contexts. Such information
may not be presented in an explicit manner. Adults at this level can devise and implement strategies to solve multi-step
problems. This may involve reasoning about how to integrate concepts from different mathematical content areas or
applying more complex and formal mathematical procedures.
Adults at this level can:
• calculate and interpret rates and ratios
• devise a strategy to compare large data sets
• read and interpret multi-variate data presented in a single graph
• analyse complex, authentic algebraic formulae to understand relationships between variables
• reflect and reason mathematically to review and evaluate the validity of statistical or mathematical conclusions,
claims or arguments while accommodating relevant conditions
• formulate a problem so that the result will be at the required level of specificity to the context of the situation. |
Level 5 (376-500) | Adults at Level 5 can use and apply problem-solving strategies to analyse, evaluate, reason and critically reflect on
complex and formal mathematical information, including dynamic representations. They demonstrate an understanding
of statistical concepts and can critically reflect on whether a data set can be used to support or refute a claim. Adults at
this level can determine the most appropriate graphical representation for relational data sets. |
Adaptive problem solving
Level / range score | Description |
Below level 1 (less then 176) | Adults performing below Level 1 understand very simple static problems situated within a clearly structured
environment. Problems contain no invisible elements, no irrelevant information that might distract from the core of the
problem, and typically only require a single step to solve the problem.
Adults at this proficiency level are able to engage in the basic cognitive processes required to solve problems if explicit
support is given and if they are prompted to do so. |
Level 1 (176-225) | Adults at Level 1 are able to understand simple problems, and develop and implement solutions to solve them.
Problems contain a limited number of elements and little to no irrelevant information. Solutions at this level are simple
and consist of a limited number of steps. Problems are embedded in a context that includes one or two sources of
information and presents a single, explicitly defined goal.
Adults at Level 1 engage in the following cognitive processes:
• develop mental models of simple and clearly structured problems
• understand connections between tasks and stimuli that are explicit and embedded in a well-structured
environment
• solve problems that do not change and thereby do not require adaptivity. |
Level 2 (226-275) | Adults at Level 2 can identify and apply solutions that consist of several steps to problems that require one target
variable to be considered in order to judge whether the problem has been solved. In dynamic problems that exhibit
change, adults at this level can identify relevant information if they are prompted about specific aspects of the change
or if changes are transparent, occur only one at a time, relate to a single problem feature and are easily accessible.
Problems at this level are presented in well-structured environments and contain only a few information elements with
direct relevance to the problem. Minor impasses may be introduced but these can be resolved easily by adjusting the
initial problem-solving procedure.
Adults at Level 2 engage in the following cognitive processes:
• develop mental models for simple to moderately difficult problems and adapt these as needed
• adequately react to changes that are presented in visible increments
• adapt resolution strategies to changes in the problem statement and the environment if these changes are
of low or moderate cognitive complexity.
Adults at this level engage in the following metacognitive processes:
• monitor progress towards a solution that consists of one specific goal
• search for optimal solutions by evaluating alternative solution paths within a given problem environment of
low to moderate complexity
• reflect on the chosen solution strategy if an impasse occurs and when explicitly prompted to adapt. |
Level 3 (276-325) | Adults at Level 3 understand problems that are either static but more complex, or have an average to high level of
dynamics. They can solve problems with multiple constraints or problems that require the attainment of several goals
in parallel. In problems that change and require them to adapt, they can deal with frequent and, to some extent,
continuous changes. They discriminate between changes that are relevant and those that are less relevant or
unrelated to the problem.
Adults at this level can identify and apply multi-step solutions that integrate several important variables simultaneously
and consider the impact of several problem elements on each other. In dynamically changing problems, they predict
future developments in the problem situation based on information collected from past developments. They adapt their
behaviour according to the predicted change.
Adults at Level 3 engage in the following cognitive processes:
• generate mental models for moderately to highly complex problems
• actively search for solutions by continuously evaluating the information provided in the problem
environment
• distinguish between relevant and irrelevant information.
Adults at this level engage in the following metacognitive processes:
• monitor comprehension of the problem and the changes in the problem
• monitor and evaluate progress towards the goal of the problem
• search for solutions by setting sub-goals and evaluating alternative solutions to the problem
• reflect on their approach to solving the problem and, if necessary, revise their strategy. |
Level 4 (326-375) | Adults at Level 4 are able to define the nature of problems in ill-structured and information-rich contexts. They can
integrate multiple sources of information and their interactions, identify and disregard irrelevant information, and
formulate relevant cues.
Adults at this level can identify and apply multi-step solutions to meet one or more complex goals. They adapt the
problem-solving process to changes, even if these changes are not obvious, occur unexpectedly or require a major reevaluation of the problem. They are able to distinguish between relevant and irrelevant changes, predict future
developments of the problem situation, and consider multiple criteria simultaneously to judge whether the solution
process is likely to lead to success.
Adults at Level 4 engage in the following cognitive processes:
• develop complex mental models of problems by integrating information from multiple sources
• establish connections between tasks and stimuli even if these connections are difficult to detect or contain
complex interactions
• develop strategies to reach several goals in parallel and implement multi-step solutions
• continuously update their mental model, search strategies and solutions during problem solving.
Adults at this level engage in the following metacognitive processes:
• continuously reflect and monitor the problem-solving process even if the environment is complex and
changes unexpectedly
• constantly revisit and re-evaluate their mental model, the available information and goal attainment
• show adequate and immediate reactions to change
• cope with frequent and unpredictable change and adapt their solution strategy accordingly. |
Article / 8 October 2013High skill levels among Norwegian adultsNorwegian adults have proficiency above the OECD average in literacy, numeracy and problem solving in a technology-rich environment. In Norway, adults aged between 25 and 34 have the highest mean scores in literacy and numeracy, as well as the largest percentage that is proficient at the highest level in problem solving.