International Schools' Assessment (ISA)

Contact us

Australian Council for Educational Research

19 Prospect Hill Rd,
Camberwell, VIC 3124, Australia

T: +613 9277 5555
F: +613 9277 5757
E: isa@acer.edu.au

The ISA testing cohort is based on the student's grade, rather than on the student's age. We are using UNESCO's International Standard Classification of Education (ISCED-97) classification of grades. What we call Grade 3/third grade/Year 3 is the third year of ISCED level 1; what we call grade7/seventh grade/Year 7 is the seventh year, counting from the beginning of ISCED level 1. Please note that the grade levels are not based on Australian year levels or the Australian school year: indeed, the great majority of schools participating in the ISA follow the Northern Hemisphere academic year.

We ask schools to submit the 'named grade' for the assessments: that is, children in the year or grade called 'three' should do the Grade 3 test, regardless of their age; children in the year or grade called 'five' should do the grade 5 test.

The exception to this is children in British-style schools. The AGE of children in British style schools is approximately the same, on average, as that of children in the grade 'below' them. In the light of this, we recommend that children in British-style schools are administered the assessment of the Grade name BELOW their Year level. That is, Year 4 children should sit the Grade 3 tests; Year 5 children should sit the Grade 4 test etc.

Proceed to ISA online registration