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Data Collection Schedule and Plans

Not all countries are able to conduct PIAAC in the same time frame. To accommodate different countries’ schedules, the OECD organizes different rounds of PIAAC data collections within the same assessment cycle. The same study instruments are used for all participants in all rounds of the assessment cycle.

U.S. Participation in PIAAC

This is a computer generated image of the PIAAC timeline highlighting specific years in the PIAAC data collection in the United States. There are two cycles. Cycle I includes three years. Round 1 was in 2012, round 2 was in 2014, and round three was in 2017. Cyle II includes one round in 2023.

During the first decade of PIAAC, or Cycle I, the OECD organized three rounds of data collection using the same study instruments: 25 countries participated in the first round of data collection, completed in 2012; 9 additional countries participated in the second round, completed in 2014; and 5 more countries participated in the third round, completed in 2017. In total, 39 countries participated during in PIAAC Cycle I, including the United States, which collected data during all three rounds.

For the second decade of PIAAC, or Cycle II, the OECD has updated PIAAC’s study instruments. The first round of the Cycle II data collection is scheduled to be completed in 2023, with 31 countries participating.

The tables below detail the schedule for each cycle and round of data collection, along with the products and publications associated with completed PIAAC rounds.

Dates International (OECD) U.S. National (NCES)
June 2021 – August 2021 Field test of data collection in 31 countries Field test of data collection
September 2022 – June 2023 International PIAAC data collection in 31 countries Household data collection
May 2023 – November 2024 Analysis and report preparation Analysis and report preparation
December 2024 International release of results U.S. National release of results

The first round of the PIAAC Cycle II data collection in the United States is scheduled for September 2022 through June 2023 with a nationally representative household sample of adults ages 16–74.

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