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Computer-based Assessment (CBA)

The computer-based assessment consists of the following parts, which are all automatically scored:

  • Information communication technology (ICT) core: A set of easy basic computer tasks to assess basic functional computer skills necessary to take the main assessment on the computer.
  • Computer-based literacy/numeracy core: A set of short, easy literacy and numeracy tasks to gather information about basic literacy and numeracy cognitive skills of the participants.
  • Computer-based literacy items: The CBA literacy domain consists of 52 items based on the PIAAC definition of literacy. Of these 52 computer-based items, 30 come from IALS/ALL and will serve as linking items to equate results on PIAAC with results from IALS and ALL. The remaining 22 computer-based literacy items were newly created for PIAAC.
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    Literacy items (both CBA and PBA) ask participants to answer questions about texts that are drawn from a broad range of real life settings, including occupational, personal (home and family, health and safety, consumer economics, leisure and recreation), community and citizenship, and education and training contexts. The text may be:

    • Continuous texts (such as editorials, news stories, and brochures)
    • Non-continuous text (such as job applications, payroll forms, tables, and drug labels)
    • Texts containing images 
    • Hypertext (computer-based assessment only)
    • Text in interactive environments (e.g., message boards and chat rooms - computer-based assessment only)

    The questions or tasks using these texts are meant to assess three specific cognitive processes:

    • Access and identify
    • Interpret and integrate
    • Evaluate and reflect

    Distribution of items by type of text

    Final item set Framework goal
    Number Percent Percent
    Print-based texts 36 62 70 - 80
    Digital texts 22 38 20 - 35
    Total 58 100 100

    Note: Each category includes continuous, non-continuous and combined texts. Source: Literacy, Numeracy and Problem Solving in Technology-rich Environments: Framework for the OECD Survey of Adult Skills. Paris: OECD, 2012. Page 25

    Distribution of items by contexts

    Final item set Framework goal
    Number Percent Percent
    Work 10 17 15
    Personal 29 50 40
    Community 13 23 30
    Education 6 10 15
    Total 58 100 100

    Source: Literacy, Numeracy and Problem Solving in Technology-rich Environments: Framework for the OECD Survey of Adult Skills. Paris: OECD, 2012. Page 25.

    Distribution of items by task aspect

    Final item set Framework goal
    Number Percent Percent
    Access and identify 32 55 40
    Integrate and interpret 17 29 45
    Evaluate and reflect 9 16 15
    Total 58 100 100

    Source: Literacy, Numeracy and Problem Solving in Technology-rich Environments: Framework for the OECD Survey of Adult Skills. Paris: OECD, 2012. Page 25.

    Distribution of items by mode of administration

    Final item set
    Number Percent
    Computer- and paper-based 18 31
    Computer-based only 34 59
    Paper-based only 6 10
    Total 58 100

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  • Computer-based numeracy items: The CBA numeracy domain consists of 52 items based on the PIAAC definition of numeracy. Of these 52 computer-based items, 30 come from IALS/ALL and will serve as linking items to equate results on PIAAC with results from IALS and ALL. The remaining 22 computer-based numeracy items were newly created for PIAAC.
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    Numeracy items (both CBA and PBA) ask participants to answer questions about quantity and number; dimension and shape; pattern, relation, and change; and data and chance. The information in these questions may be presented as:

    • Objects or pictures
    • Numbers or mathematical symbols
    • Formulae
    • Diagrams or maps
    • Graphs or tables
    • Texts
    • Technology-based displays (computer-based assessment only)

    Questions about these four key areas of mathematical content are placed in one of four contexts: everyday life, work-related context, and social or community, and further learning. The questions are meant to assess five specific cognitive processes:

    • Identify, locate, or access
    • Act upon or use
    • Interpret
    • Evaluate or solve
    • Communicate

    Distribution of items by response process

    Final item set Framework goal
    Number Percent Percent
    Act upon, use 34 61 50
    Identify, locate or access 3 5 10
    Interpret, evaluate 19 34 40
    Total 56 100 100

    Source: Literacy, Numeracy and Problem Solving in Technology-rich Environments: Framework for the OECD Survey of Adult Skills. Paris: OECD, 2012. Page 40.

    Distribution of items by contexts

    Final item set
    Number Percent
    Everyday life 25 45
    Work-related 13 23
    Society and community 14 25
    Further learning 4 7
    Total 56 100

    Source: Literacy, Numeracy and Problem Solving in Technology-rich Environments: Framework for the OECD Survey of Adult Skills. Paris: OECD, 2012. Page 40.

    Distribution of items by mathematical content

    Final item set Framework goal
    Number Percent Percent
    Data and chance 12 21 25
    Dimension and shape 16 29 25
    Pattern, relationships and change 15 27 20
    Quantity and change 13 23 30
    Total 56 100 100

    Source: Literacy, Numeracy and Problem Solving in Technology-rich Environments: Framework for the OECD Survey of Adult Skills. Paris: OECD, 2012. Page 40.

    Distribution of items by mode of administration

    Final item set
    Number Percent
    Computer- and paper-based 20 36
    Computer-based only 32 57
    Paper-based only 4 7
    Total 56 100

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  • Problem solving in technology-rich environments (PS-TRE) items: The PS-TRE domain consists of 14 items based on the PIAAC problem solving framework. All of these items were newly created for PIAAC.
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    All of the PS-TRE items were newly created for PIAAC. specifically for testing participants' ability to manage tasks that can include multiple steps and, in some cases, multiple technology environments. For example, items may require participants to navigate between e-mail and spreadsheet environments to locate information and create a table which represents that information for a specific purpose. The PS-TRE tasks are all scenario-based, ranging from easy to difficult. They measure four specific cognitive processes

    • Goal setting and monitoring progress
    • Planning
    • Acquiring and evaluating information
    • Making use of information

    Distribution of tasks as a function of cognitive dimensions

    Dimension Final item set
    Number1 Percent1
    Setting goals and monitoring progress 4 29
    Planning 7 50
    Acquiring 8 57
    Using information 6 43

    1 Parts do not sum to total because some tasks are coded to more than one dimension.

    Source: Literacy, Numeracy and Problem Solving in Technology-rich Environments: Framework for the OECD Survey of Adult Skills. Paris: OECD, 2012. Page 52

    Distribution of tasks as a function of technology dimensions

    Dimension Final item set
    Number1 Percent1
    Web 7 50
    Spreadsheet 4 29
    E-mail 9 64

    1 Parts do not sum to total because some tasks are coded to more than one dimension.

    Source: Literacy, Numeracy and Problem Solving in Technology-rich Environments: Framework for the OECD Survey of Adult Skills. Paris: OECD, 2012. Page 52.

    Distribution of tasks by context

    Dimension Final item set
    Number Percent
    Personal 8 57
    Work / Occupation 4 29
    Civic 2 14
    Total 14 100
    Source: Literacy, Numeracy and Problem Solving in Technology-rich Environments: Framework for the OECD Survey of Adult Skills. Paris: OECD, 2012. Page 52.

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