Frequently Asked Questions - ALL

• What is the Adult Literacy and Lifeskills Survey?
• What can we learn from ALL?
• How was ALL data collected?
• When were the data collected?
• How does ALL compare to other national and international assessments of adult literacy and lifeskills?
• Where can I get ALL data?

What is the Adult Literacy and Lifeskills Survey?

The Adult Literacy and Lifeskills Survey (ALL) is a large-scale, international comparative assessment designed to identify and measure a range of skills linked to the social and economic characteristics of individuals across (or within) nations. As our societies become more and more information-oriented, it is clear that adults will need a broad set of skills in order to participate effectively in the labor market, in political processes, and in their communities. They will need to be literate and numerate; they will need to be capable problem-solvers; and increasingly, they will need to be familiar with information and communications technologies.

ALL provides information on the skills and attitudes of adults aged 16-65 in a number of different areas, including:

• Prose and Document Literacy: the knowledge and skills to understand and use information from texts such as editorials, news stories, poems, fiction and the knowledge and skills required to locate and use information contained in various formats such as tables, forms, graphs, and diagrams
• Numeracy: the ability to interpret, apply, and communicate mathematical information
• Analytical Reasoning/Problem Solving: the ability to solve problems by clarifying the nature of the problem and developing and applying appropriate solution strategies

Next Question >>

Top