Frequently Asked Questions

• What is the International Adult Literacy Survey?
• What can we learn from IALS?
• How was the IALS data collected?
• When was the IALS data collected?
• How did IALS measure literacy proficiency?

How were IALS data collected?

IALS consists of two components:

• Background questionnaires designed to collect general participant information like demographic details and work history.
• Assessments of the skills of participants in Prose Literacy, Document Literacy, and Quantitative Literacy.

Once the questionnaire was completed, the interviewer presented a booklet containing six simple questions. If the respondent failed to complete at least two questions correctly, the interview was adjourned. Respondents who completed two or more questions correctly were then given a much larger variety of tasks. The assessment was not timed, and respondents were urged to attempt each question.

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