185
Table 4. An overview of reading proficiency levels as they were described in the PISA 2012
study
Level
What Students Can Do
6
698
1.1%
Readers at level 6 typically can make multiple inferences, comparisons and
contrasts that are both detailed and precise. They demonstrate a full and
detailed understanding of one or more texts and may integrate information from
more than one text. Tasks may require the reader to deal with unfamiliar ideas,
in the presence of prominent competing information, and to generate abstract
categories for interpretations. Students can hypothesise about or critically
evaluate a complex text on an unfamiliar topic, taking into account multiple
criteria or perspectives, and applying sophisticated understandings from beyond
the text. A salient condition for access and retrieve tasks at this level is
precision of analysis and fine attention to detail that is inconspicuous in the
texts.
5
626
8.4%
At level 5, readers can locate and organise several pieces of deeply embedded
information, inferring which information in the text is relevant. Reflective tasks
require critical evaluation or hypothesis, drawing on specialised knowledge.
Both interpretative and reflective tasks require a full and detailed understanding
of a text whose content or form is unfamiliar. For all aspects of reading, tasks at
this level typically involve dealing with concepts that are contrary to
expectations.
4
553
29.5%
At level 4, readers can locate and organise several pieces of embedded
information. They can also interpret the meaning of nuances of language in a
section of text by taking into account the text as a whole. In other interpretative
tasks, students demonstrate understanding and application of categories in an
unfamiliar context. In addition, students at this level can use formal or public
knowledge to hypothesise about or critically evaluate a text. Readers must
demonstrate an accurate understanding of long or complex texts whose content
or form may be unfamiliar.
3
480
58.6%
Readers at level 3 can locate, and in some cases recognise the relationship
between, several pieces of information that must meet multiple conditions. They
can also integrate several parts of a text in order to identify a main idea,
understand a relationship or construe the meaning of a word or phrase. They
need to take into account many features in comparing, contrasting or
categorising. Often the required information is not prominent or there is much
competing information; or there are other text obstacles, such as ideas that are
contrary to expectation or negatively worded. Reflective tasks at this level may
require connections, comparisons, and explanations, or they may require the
reader to evaluate a feature of the text. Some reflective tasks require readers to
demonstrate a fine understanding of the text in relation to familiar, everyday
knowledge. Other tasks do not require detailed text comprehension but require
the reader to draw on less common knowledge.
2
407
Readers at level 2 can locate one or more pieces of information, which may
need to be inferred and may need to meet several conditions. They can
recognize the main idea in a text, understand relationships, or construe
meaning within a limited part of the text when the information is not prominent
186
82.0% and the reader must make low-level inferences. Tasks at this level may involve
comparisons or contrasts based on a single feature in the text. Typical reflective
tasks at this level require readers to make a comparison or several connections
between the text and outside knowledge, by drawing on personal experience
and attitudes.
1a
335
94.3%
Readers at level 1a can locate one or more independent pieces of explicitly
stated information; they can recognise
the main theme or author’s purpose in a
text about a familiar topic, or to make a simple connection between information
in the text and common, everyday knowledge. Typically the required information
in the text is prominent and there is little, if any, competing information. The
student is explicitly directed to consider relevant factors in the task and in the
text.
1b
262
98.7%
Readers at level 1b can locate a single piece of explicitly stated information in a
prominent position in a short, syntactically simple text with a familiar context and
text type, such as a narrative or a simple list. Texts in level 1b tasks typically
provide support to the reader, such as repetition of information, pictures or
familiar symbols. There is minimal competing information. Level 1b readers can
interpret texts by making simple connections between adjacent pieces of
information.
130. Given that the top of the reading literacy scale currently has no bounds, there is arguably
some uncertainty about the upper limits of proficiency of extremely high performing students.
However such students are likely to be capable of performing tasks characterised by the highest
level of proficiency. For students who are at the bottom end of the reading literacy scale, there is a
greater issue. Although it is possible to measure the reading proficiency of students performing
below Level 1, at this stage their proficiency cannot be described. The independent measure of
reading ease and efficiency, however, may provide additional information about those students
performing below Level 1. In developing new material for PISA 2018, an effort should be made to
design items that measure reading skills and understandings located at or below the current Level
1.
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