PISA 2025 Results: Uzbekistan Leads the Region in Science, Kazakhstan's Math Score Declines

The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) has released the results of the PISA 2025 international study. Central Asian countries' scores remained below the OECD average, though in some subjects Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan scored higher than a number of European Union members.

PISA is an international assessment system that measures 15-year-old students' knowledge in reading, mathematics and science every three years. The 2025 cycle placed particular emphasis on science and introduced a new section on computational problem solving for the first time.

Who took part and how

Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan took part in the study with national samples. Tajikistan participated not as a whole country but only for the city of Dushanbe. Turkmenistan did not take part in the study.

Science

• Uzbekistan — 438 points
• Kazakhstan — 420 points
• Kyrgyzstan — 363 points
• Tajikistan (Dushanbe) — 334 points

Uzbekistan's science score rose 83 points from the 2022 cycle. According to the OECD, this is the largest increase recorded within a single cycle among all participating systems.

Mathematics and reading

In mathematics, Kazakhstan scored 414, Tajikistan 382 and Kyrgyzstan 364. Reading scores were 385, 368 and 344 respectively.

Kazakhstan's mathematics result fell roughly 12 points from 2022 — assessed as a statistically significant decline for the country. Smaller declines in science and reading were not found to be statistically significant.

Tajikistan: almost no high-performing students

According to Asia-Plus, the assessment conducted for Dushanbe recorded almost no students performing at high levels in the core subjects. This indicator generally shows the extent to which an education system develops its strongest students.

How to read the scores

A rough rule of thumb holds that roughly 20 points on the PISA scale corresponds to one year of schooling, though the OECD itself advises using this comparison with caution. In interpreting results, the composition of the sample, dropout rates and the conditions during the testing period must also be taken into account.

In Uzbekistan's case, part of the rapid increase may also be linked to methodological factors: the country began taking part in PISA relatively recently, and the structure of the sample may change from cycle to cycle. The OECD report addresses such changes separately.

The policy context

Uzbekistan has announced a series of reforms in school education in recent years: raising teachers' salaries, expanding the network of presidential schools and specialized institutions, and taking part regularly in international assessments. In Kazakhstan, debate over the quality of mathematics education has intensified following the latest results.

For Central Asian states, PISA results are also used as a reference point in discussing education projects with international financial institutions.

For the diaspora

What PISA is and how it is conducted

PISA (the Programme for International Student Assessment) is an international assessment conducted by the OECD every three years since 2000. It tests 15-year-old students and is designed to measure the ability to apply knowledge in practical situations rather than the degree of rote memorization of the school curriculum.

One subject is selected as the main focus in each cycle. The 2025 cycle emphasized science. At the same time, a computational problem solving section was introduced for the first time — testing the ability to solve logical tasks in a digital environment.

The study is conducted on a sample basis: schools and students are selected at random from each system. Results are therefore presented as an assessment for the country as a whole.

Why the sample matters

Methodological considerations carry particular weight in comparing PISA results. First, the share of 15-year-olds still in school differs across countries; in systems with high rates of early school-leaving, the average score may come out artificially higher.

Second, Tajikistan participated in this cycle not with a national sample but only for the city of Dushanbe. Figures for a capital are generally higher than the national average, so it would not be correct to compare this result directly with other countries' national figures.

Third, because Turkmenistan did not take part in the study at all, a complete picture for the region is not available.

Education reforms in Uzbekistan

Uzbekistan has announced a series of changes in school education in recent years: teachers' salaries have been raised in stages, the network of presidential schools and specialized institutions has been expanded, and regular participation in international assessments has been established.

A decision on language policy was also taken alongside this: on Sept. 10, the Senate approved a new version of the Uzbek alphabet consisting of 28 letters and one apostrophe. The senator who presented the document noted that the change concerns not only spelling but also the language's use in the digital environment.

The debate in Kazakhstan

The statistically significant decline in Kazakhstan's mathematics score has intensified debate over the quality of education. The country has for many years declared science and technology education a priority.

In science, by contrast, the country has recorded long-term growth — this indicator has improved over several cycles.

Education infrastructure in the region

The share of school-age population in Central Asian countries is higher than in European countries. This places constant pressure on the education system: overcrowded classes, two- and three-shift schooling and teacher shortages are among the most frequently cited problems.

At the same time, international financial institutions are funding education projects in the region. In programs arranged with the World Bank and other donors, international assessment results are often used as a reference indicator.

The digital skills section

The computational problem solving section introduced in the PISA 2025 cycle opens a new subject: students' ability to solve logical tasks in a digital environment.

This area carries practical significance for the region, because the IT sector is becoming one of Central Asia's export-oriented industries. In Uzbekistan, software exports are being encouraged through the IT Park system.

The gender dimension

International assessments generally analyze boys' and girls' results separately. In Central Asia, the question of imbalance in career choice is also under discussion.

Research published in The Times of Central Asia cited the low share of women in engineering education in Uzbekistan: of more than 100 students admitted to one energy college, only 16 were women.

For families who have moved to the United States, this data carries practical significance: a country's standing in international assessments is treated as an indirect reference point in processes for recognizing diplomas and school-level knowledge abroad. At the same time, PISA measures a system's average rather than an individual student's level.