OCDE - PISA 2025 Results (Volume I) - Emiratos Árabes Unidos de 2026

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PISA 2025 RESULTS (VOLUME I) – COUNTRY NOTES: UNITED ARAB EMIRATES © OECD 2026

The Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) assesses the knowledge, skills and attitudes of 15-year-old students. The tests explore how well students can solve complex problems , think critically and communicate effectively; data collected through questionnaires describe the context in which students learn. This gives insights into how well education systems are preparing student s for real life challenges and future success. The United Arab Emirates participated for the first time in PIS A in 2009 (Dubai) and 2010 (all remaining parts of the country). By comparing results internationally, policy makers and educators in the United Arab Emirates can learn from other countries’ policies and practices. Fifteen-year-old students in the United Arab Emirates and the context in which they learn Figure 1. A multi-dimensional dashboard of student learning

United Arab Emirates2  PISA 2025 RESULTS (VOLUME I) – COUNTRY NOTES: UNITED ARAB EMIRATES © OECD 2026

Notes: Due to missing data, not all countries and economies are included in every dimension. F or each dimension, the top country/economy and the OECD average are highlighed; truancy values are sorted in descending order, so that values shown to the right correspond to lower levels of truancy.

For indicators derived from students’ and principals’ reports, differences between countries and economies should be interpre ted with caution, as they may reflect variations in response behaviour rather than true underlying differences. Non-response to questionnaires, cultural norms, as well as differing interpretations of questions can influence these indicators.

Definitions: Values that are not reported as percentages correspond to mean values of the corresponding questionnaire indices. Percentages are defined as follows: Percentage of students scoring above a baseline level of proficiency : students scoring at or above Level 2 in science, mathematics and reading; at or above Level 3 in computational problem solving; Growth mindset: Percentage of students who disagree or

are defined as follows: Percentage of students scoring above a baseline level of proficiency : students scoring at or above Level 2 in science, mathematics and reading; at or above Level 3 in computational problem solving; Growth mindset: Percentage of students who disagree or strongly disagree with the statement “You have a certain amount of intelligence, and you really can’t do much to change it”; Value of learning at school: Percentage of students who disagree or strongly disagree that “School has done little to prepare me for adult life when I leave school”; Absence of bullying: Percentage of students who reported never or almost never being victim of any type of bullying act (among a list of five different types of acts); Truancy: Percentage of students who reported that in the two weeks prior to the PISA test they had skipped at least one class or day of school; Academic resilience in science: Percentage of students from the bottom quarter of socio-economic status (disadvantaged students) who scored in the top quarter of performance amongst students in their own country/economy; Beliefs in social mobility: Percentage of students who disagree or strongly disagree with the statement “Your status in s ociety is something that you can’t really change very much”; No shortage of teaching staff: Percentage of students in schools whose principal reported that the school’s capacity to provide instruction is not at all hindered by a lack of teaching staff; Peer-to-peer tutoring: Percentage of students in schools whose principal reported that peerto-peer tutoring is provided; Learning to assess AI-generated content in class : Percentage of students who reported that, in their school lessons, they assess the quality of information generated by Artificial Intelligence chatbots (e.g. ChatGPT) sometimes, often or very often; School policy: cell phone bans in school : Percentage of students in schools whose principal reported that the use of cell phon es is not allowed on the school premises; School policy: subject-specific guidelines on digital devices : Percentage of students in schools whose principal reported that the school has formal guidelines for the use of digital devices for teaching and learning in specific subjects.

Source: Figure I.1.2.

premises; School policy: subject-specific guidelines on digital devices : Percentage of students in schools whose principal reported that the school has formal guidelines for the use of digital devices for teaching and learning in specific subjects.

Source: Figure I.1.2.

An interactive dashboard is available at https://www.oecd.org/en/data/dashboards/pisa-education-and-skills.html 3

PISA 2025 RESULTS (VOLUME I) – COUNTRY NOTES: UNITED ARAB EMIRATES © OECD 2026

Notes on data quality in PISA 2025 This edition of PISA includes data from 91 countries and economies. While t he vast majority of countries and economies met PISA’s technical standards, a small number did not. In particular, caution is required when interpreting results of countries and economies mentioned in this note with an asterisk () next to their names: their results could be affected by greater uncertainty, or even be biased, because one or more PISA sampling standards were not met. For more information, see the Reader’s Guide in PISA 2025 Results, Volume I and Chapter 18 (Data Adjudication) in the PISA 2025 Technical Report. In the United Arab Emirates, all data met the quality standards set by PISA and were considered fit for reporting. How well did 15-year-old students in the United Arab Emirates do on the test? Trends in science, mathematics and reading performance Figure 2. Trends in performance in science, mathematics and reading

Note: White dots indicate mean scores that are not statistically significantly above/below PISA 2025 mean scores. An interactive version of this figure is available at https://www.oecd.org/en/data/dashboards/pisa-education-and-skills/performance-trends.html.

Source: Tables I.B1.2a.36-38 • Average 2025 results in the United Arab Emirates were up compared to 2022 in mathemat ics, reading and science. • In science and mathematics, PISA 2025 average scores were also above those observed 10 years

Source: Tables I.B1.2a.36-38 • Average 2025 results in the United Arab Emirates were up compared to 2022 in mathemat ics, reading and science. • In science and mathematics, PISA 2025 average scores were also above those observed 10 years earlier. In reading, the recent gains reversed any losses that were observed between 2015 and 2022. • Over the most recent period (2022 to 2025), the gap between the highest-scorin g students (10% with the highest scores) and the weakest students (10% with the lowest scores) did not change significantly in mathematics and science, while it narrowed in reading. • Compared to 2015 the proportion of low-performing students (scoring below proficiency Level 2) decreased by nine percentage points in mathematics; did not change signifi cantly in reading; and decreased by seven percentage points in science.4  PISA 2025 RESULTS (VOLUME I) – COUNTRY NOTES: UNITED ARAB EMIRATES © OECD 2026

How does the United Arab Emirates compare? • Students in the United Arab Emirates scored less than the OECD average in mathematics, reading and science (Figure 3). • A smaller proportion of students in the United Arab Emirates than on average acr oss OECD countries were top performers (Level 5 or 6) in at least one subject. At the same time, a smaller proportion of students than on average across OECD countries achieved a minimum level o f proficiency (Level 2 or higher) in all three subjects (Figure 4). • In computational problem solving, the mean score of students in the United Arab Emi rates was lower than the OECD average (Figure 3). Figure 3. Mean performance in science, mathematics, reading and computational problem solving The United Arab Emirates, OECD average and selected comparison countries/economies

Notes: Comparison countries/economies include the highest-performing countries and econom ies overall and the highest-performing OECD

lower than the OECD average (Figure 3). Figure 3. Mean performance in science, mathematics, reading and computational problem solving The United Arab Emirates, OECD average and selected comparison countries/economies

Notes: Comparison countries/economies include the highest-performing countries and econom ies overall and the highest-performing OECD countries; for comparisons with all remaining PISA 2025 participants, see source T ables and Figures. Horizontal lines that extend beyond the markers represent a measure of uncertainty associated with mean scores (the 95% confidence interval).

Source: Tables I.B1.2a.1-3 and Tables I.2.1, I.2.4, I.2.o1 and I.2.o2 5

PISA 2025 RESULTS (VOLUME I) – COUNTRY NOTES: UNITED ARAB EMIRATES © OECD 2026

What students know and can do in science Figure 4. Proficiency in science, mathematics and reading among 15-year-old students The United Arab Emirates and OECD average

Source: Tables I.B1.2a.10-12 • Some 65% of students in the United Arab Emirates attained Level 2 or higher in scien ce (OECD average: 74%). At a minimum, these students can recognize the correct explanation for familiar scientific phenomena and can use such knowledge to identify, in simple cases, whether a conclusion is valid based on the data provided. Over 85% of students in top performers B-S-J-Z

(China), Macao (China), Singapore, Estonia, Japan, Chinese Taipei and Korea (in d escending order of that share) performed at this level or above. • In the United Arab Emirates, 6% of students were top performers in science, meaning that the y were proficient at Level 5 or 6 (OECD average: 7%). These students can crea tively and autonomously apply their knowledge of and about science to a wide variety of situations, including unfamiliar ones. What students know and can do in mathematics • In the United Arab Emirates, 60% of students attained at least Level 2 proficiency in mathematics

autonomously apply their knowledge of and about science to a wide variety of situations, including unfamiliar ones. What students know and can do in mathematics • In the United Arab Emirates, 60% of students attained at least Level 2 proficiency in mathematics (OECD average: 65%). At a minimum, these students can interpret and recognize, without di rect instructions, how a simple situation can be represented mathematically (e.g. comparing the total distance across two alternative routes, or converting prices into a different currency). • Some 7% of students in the United Arab Emirates were top performers in mathematics, meaning that they attained Level 5 or 6 in the PISA mathematics test (OECD average: 8%). The largest shares of students attaining Level 5 or 6 were observed in Seven Asian countries and economies: B-S-J-Z (China) (54%), Singapore (37%), Chinese Taipei (32%), Macao (China) (29%), Korea (23%), Japan (22%) and Hong Kong (China) (21%). At these levels, students can mo del complex situations mathematically, and can select, compare and evaluate appropriate problem-solv ing strategies for dealing with them. In 13 countries and economies participating in PISA 2025, more than 10% of students attained Level 5 or 6 proficiency.6  PISA 2025 RESULTS (VOLUME I) – COUNTRY NOTES: UNITED ARAB EMIRATES © OECD 2026

What students know and can do in reading • Some 58% of students in the United Arab Emirates attained Level 2 or high er in reading (OECD average: 69%). At a minimum, these students can identify the main idea in a text of moderate length, find information based on explicit, though sometimes complex criteria, and c an reflect on the purpose and form of texts when explicitly directed to do so. The share of 15-year -old students who attained minimum levels of proficiency in reading (Level 2 or higher) varied fro m 93% in B-SJ-Z (China) to 4% in Rwanda.

the purpose and form of texts when explicitly directed to do so. The share of 15-year -old students who attained minimum levels of proficiency in reading (Level 2 or higher) varied fro m 93% in B-SJ-Z (China) to 4% in Rwanda. • In the United Arab Emirates, 4% of students scored at Level 5 or higher in reading (OECD average: 6%). These students can comprehend lengthy texts, deal with concepts that are abstract or counterintuitive, and establish distinctions between fact and opinion, based on implicit cues pertaining to the content or source of the information. Performance gaps within the United Arab Emirates Figure 5. Science performance and socio-economic status of students and schools

Source: Tables I.B1.2b.7 and Table I.B1.2b.11; and OECD, PISA 2025 Database.

Notes: The left-hand chart shows how the performance of students at different levels of socio-economic status compares to the performance of students with similar socio-economic background across OECD countries on average. The shaded area represents a measure of uncertainty

(the 95% confidence interval). Percentages reported on the chart correspond to the percentage of students in the United Arab Emirates that are in each international quartile of socio-economic status. The right-hand chart plots the performance and average socio-economic status of schools that participated in PISA (only schools with students in the modal grade for 15-year-olds are shown). The size of dots is proportional to the population of 15-year-old students that each school represents. Socio-economic disparities • The PISA index of economic, social and cultural status is computed in such a way that all students taking the PISA test, regardless of the country where they live, can be placed on the same socioeconomic scale. This means that it is possible to use this index to compare the performance of students of similar socio-economic background in different countries. In the United Arab Emirates, 7

PISA 2025 RESULTS (VOLUME I) – COUNTRY NOTES: UNITED ARAB EMIRATES © OECD 2026

economic scale. This means that it is possible to use this index to compare the performance of students of similar socio-economic background in different countries. In the United Arab Emirates, 7

PISA 2025 RESULTS (VOLUME I) – COUNTRY NOTES: UNITED ARAB EMIRATES © OECD 2026

76% of students (the largest share) were in the top international quartile of the s ocio-economic scale, meaning that they were among the most advantaged students who took the PISA test in

2025. Their average score in science was 481 score points (Figure 5, left chart). In Singapore, Chinese Taipei and Macao (China), students of similar socio-economic background tend to score significantly higher. • The PISA index of economic, social and cultural status can also be used to or der students from the most disadvantaged to the most advantaged within each country and economy, and to create four groups of students of equal size (each comprising 25% of the population of 15-year -old students in each country/economy). In the United Arab Emirates socio-economical ly advantaged students (the top 25% in terms of socio-economic status) outperformed disadvantage d students

(the bottom 25%) by 50 score points in science. This is smaller than the average difference between the two groups (85 score points) across OECD countries. • Between 2015 and 2025, the gap in science performance between the top and the bottom 25% of students in terms of socio-economic status remained stable in the United Arab Emirates, while the average gap across OECD countries narrowed. Over this period, performance improved to a similar extent among advantaged and disadvantaged students. • Socio-economic status was a predictor of performance in science in all PISA-participating countries and economies. It accounted for 3% of the variation in science performance in PIS A 2025 in the United Arab Emirates (compared to 12% on average across OECD countries). • Some 14% of disadvantaged students in the United Arab Emirates were able to score in the top quarter of science performance. These students can be considered academically resilient because,

United Arab Emirates (compared to 12% on average across OECD countries). • Some 14% of disadvantaged students in the United Arab Emirates were able to score in the top quarter of science performance. These students can be considered academically resilient because, despite their socio-economic disadvantage, they have attained educational excell ence by comparison with students in their own country. On average across OECD countries, 12% of disadvantaged students scored in the top quarter of science performance in their own countries. Student attitudes towards school and learning in the United Arab Emirates Student curiosity, perseverance and perceived value of school • In the United Arab Emirates, 74% of students agree or strongly agree that they are c urious about many different things, compared to 73% across OECD countries. Moreover, 72% of students reported that they apply additional effort when work becomes challenging (OECD averag e 60%). At the same time, 26% agree or strongly agree that school has been a waste of time ( OECD average: 24%). • Between 2022 and 2025, these attitudes changed somewhat in the United Arab Emirat es. The share of students who reported being curious about many different things increased by 5.5 percentage points; the proportion who reported applying additional effort when work becomes challenging increased by 4.5 percentage points; and the percentage of students who agreed that school had been a waste of time decreased by 4.8 percentage points during this period. • Curiosity, perseverance and valuing school are most often associated with higher science performance. In the United Arab Emirates, after accounting for students’ and schools’ socioeconomic profile, a one-unit increase in the curiosity index is associated with a difference of 22 score points in science performance, compared to an average of 19 score points across OECD countries; a one-unit increase in the perseverance index is associated with a difference of 11 score points in science performance (OECD average: 13 score points); students who perceiv e greater value in school and disagree that it is a waste of time tend to achieve higher scores in science (by

countries; a one-unit increase in the perseverance index is associated with a difference of 11 score points in science performance (OECD average: 13 score points); students who perceiv e greater value in school and disagree that it is a waste of time tend to achieve higher scores in science (by 36 score points ) than their peers who feel they are wasting their time at school (OE CD average: 27 score points).8  PISA 2025 RESULTS (VOLUME I) – COUNTRY NOTES: UNITED ARAB EMIRATES © OECD 2026

Student attitudes towards learning • PISA 2025 also asked students about other attitudes towards learning. For example, 68 % of students in the United Arab Emirates have a growth mindset (OECD average: 69%), i.e. hold the belief that intelligence can be cultivated through work, effort and feedback. On average acros s OECD countries, students with a growth mindset score 28 score points higher in science than those with a fixed mindset. In the United Arab Emirates, this difference is 59 score points, after accounting for students’ and schools’ socio-economic profile. • PISA 2025 data further describe students’ self -regulation and goal-setting behaviours. For example, in the United Arab Emirates about 59% of students reported that they often or very often plan their approach to studying. Furthermore, 66% of students ask themselves questions about the material to check if they have understood everything (OECD averages: 37% and 49%, respectively). • An autonomous self-regulated learner knows when and where to ask for help. PISA 2025 data show that, in most countries, students tend to rely on their teachers and clas smates for support with their schoolwork. In the United Arab Emirates, 84% of students ask their t eachers for help when they need it and 85% ask their classmates when they do not fully understand something (OECD averages: 77% and 82%, respectively). • In the United Arab Emirates self-regulated goal-setting and help-seeking are positively related to science performance, after accounting for students’ and schools’ socio -economic profile. A one-

(OECD averages: 77% and 82%, respectively). • In the United Arab Emirates self-regulated goal-setting and help-seeking are positively related to science performance, after accounting for students’ and schools’ socio -economic profile. A oneunit increase in the index of goal-setting is associated with a difference of 8 sc ore points (OECD average: 3 score points).A one-unit increase in the index of help-seeking is associated with a difference of 10 score points (OECD average: 6 score points). How is school life in the United Arab Emirates? Perceived shortages of human and material resources • In 2025, 17% of students in the United Arab Emirates were in schools whose principals reported that instruction was hindered, at least to some extent, by a perceived lack of teaching staff (OECD average: 39%); the corresponding share for a perceived lack of assisting staff was 18 % (OECD average: 39%). The prevalence of perceived teaching staff shortages in the United Arab Emirates decreased compared to 2022 (27%). • PISA 2025 data reveal that perceived shortages of material resources remain a concern in most countries and economies. Some 11% of students in the United Arab Emirates attended s chools whose principals reported that a lack of educational material (e.g. textbooks, IT equipment, li brary or laboratory material) hindered instruction, at least to some extent, and 14% were in schools where a lack of physical infrastructure (e.g. buildings, grounds, heating/cooling systems, lighting and acoustic systems) was perceived to hinder instruction. In 2022, the corresponding shares were 19% and 19%, respectively. Digital resources • In the United Arab Emirates, students reported spending on average 1.9 hours per day using digital devices at school for learning activities (OECD average: 1.7 hours). At the sam e time, a nonnegligible share of students’ device use on school days is dedic ated to non-learning activities: students in the United Arab Emirates reported spending 1.3 hours per day using digital devices at

devices at school for learning activities (OECD average: 1.7 hours). At the sam e time, a nonnegligible share of students’ device use on school days is dedic ated to non-learning activities: students in the United Arab Emirates reported spending 1.3 hours per day using digital devices at school for leisure (OECD average: 1.1 hours). 9

PISA 2025 RESULTS (VOLUME I) – COUNTRY NOTES: UNITED ARAB EMIRATES © OECD 2026

• In the United Arab Emirates, 23% of students reported that their peers are often distracted by the use of digital devices during most or all science lessons (OECD average: 28%). On average across OECD countries, students who reported digital distraction in their science classes score 11 points lower in science than those who reported no digital distraction (after accounting fo r students’ and schools’ socio-economic profile). In the United Arab Emirates they score 24 points lower. • On average across OECD countries, students in schools where cell phone use is not allowed on school premises are about 13% less likely to report digital distraction. In 2025, 90% of students in the United Arab Emirates attended schools with such a ban (OECD average: 49%), up from PISA 2022 (77%; OECD average in PISA 2022: 34%). This indicates a substantial increa se in the implementation of cell phone bans during this period. • Students in most education systems use AI chatbots for schoolwork, creating new challenges and opportunities for their learning. In the United Arab Emirates, 64% of students reported using AI chatbots to help them learn at least once a week (OECD average: 46%). Students also frequently use AI to conduct preliminary research on a new topic (United Arab Emirates: 53%; OECD average: 31%), to summarise a text they had to read (United Arab Emirates: 50%; OECD average: 30%), and to draft text for writing assignments (United Arab Emirates: 46%; OECD average: 29%).Onl y

31%), to summarise a text they had to read (United Arab Emirates: 50%; OECD average: 30%), and to draft text for writing assignments (United Arab Emirates: 46%; OECD average: 29%).Onl y 5% of students reported never or almost never using AI chatbots for any of the schoolwork tasks examined in PISA (OECD average: 14%). Bullying and cyberbullying • In the United Arab Emirates, 21% of students reported being victims of at least one form of bullying a few times per month or more in 2025 (OECD average: 20%). The prevalence of bul lying increased between PISA 2022 and PISA 2025, as it did in a large majority of participating countries and economies. This rise contrasts with the decline in bullying recorded in the United Arab Emirates between 2018 and 2022, which was likely linked to the lingering effects of COVID-19 disrup tions. • Cyberbullying is relatively uncommon compared with other forms of bullying, but its victims tend to experience significant achievement deficits. In the United Arab Emirates, 5% of stud ents reported that upsetting information about them was published online, without their consent, at l east a few times a month during the 12 months prior to the PISA test (OECD average: 3%). These stude nts scored, on average, 65 points lower in science than their peers. Teacher support and disciplinary climate in science lessons • In the United Arab Emirates, 79% of students reported that, in most science lessons, the teacher shows an interest in every student’s learning (OECD average: 69%), 78% that the teach er continues teaching until the students understand (OECD average: 66%), 80% that the teacher gives extra help when students need it (OECD average: 73%). In 2015, the corresponding shares were 80%, 80% and 80%. • Disciplinary climate in science lessons in 2025 remains a concern in many c ountries and economies: about 20% of students in the United Arab Emirates reported that they cannot work well

were 80%, 80% and 80%. • Disciplinary climate in science lessons in 2025 remains a concern in many c ountries and economies: about 20% of students in the United Arab Emirates reported that they cannot work well in most or all lessons (OECD average: 19%); 32% reported noise and disorder disrupted most or every science lesson (OECD average: 31%); 27% of students reported that their classmates do not listen to what the teacher says (OECD average: 29%). • Disciplinary climate and teacher support in science lessons improved betw een 2015 and 2025 on average across OECD countries. This was also the case in the United Arab Emirates. Countries and economies with an improved disciplinary climate tend to show stabili ty or an increase in their average science performance compared to 2015.10  PISA 2025 RESULTS (VOLUME I) – COUNTRY NOTES: UNITED ARAB EMIRATES © OECD 2026

Parental involvement and support • Student reports of family support substantially decreased in almost all PISA-participating countries and economies between 2022 and 2025. This was also the case in the United Arab Emi rates. In 2025, 69% of students in the United Arab Emirates reported that their parents or guardians asked them, at least once per week, what they did at school , while 55% reported having at least week ly discussions about problems they might have at school. In 2022, the corresponding shares were 72% and 60%, respectively. Truancy and lateness • In 2025, around 29% of students in the United Arab Emirates reported having skipped at least one day of school in the two weeks prior to the test (OECD average: 22%); 24% reported sk ipping at least one class (OECD average: 24%); 40% reported arriving late for school (OECD average: 50%). In previous years, the corresponding shares were 26%, 23% and 40% (in 2022); 28%, 36%

least one class (OECD average: 24%); 40% reported arriving late for school (OECD average: 50%). In previous years, the corresponding shares were 26%, 23% and 40% (in 2022); 28%, 36% and 45% (in 2018). Student readiness for environmental challenges • In the United Arab Emirates, 65% of students reached at least baseline proficienc y (Level 2) in environmental science. On average across OECD countries, 74% of students achi eve this level, with more than 85% reaching it in seven countries and economies. • PISA 2025 shows that students in most education systems report strong pro-environme ntal attitudes, although fewer feel confident about how to collaborate effectively. In the United Arab Emirates, 86% of students believe that they can positively impact the environment (OECD average: 81%); 87% believe that collective action can address environmental problems (OE CD average: 82%); 82% report knowing how to work with others to positively impact the environm ent (OECD average: 68%). • In the United Arab Emirates, 75% of students reported that they are somewhat or very inte rested in contributing to protecting the environment in their future jobs (OECD average: 62%). • Most students engaged in environment-related activities at least once over the 12 months prior to the PISA test. On average across OECD countries, the most common forms of engagement are discussing with friends and family how to have a positive impact on the env ironment (the United Arab Emirates: 72%; OECD average: 56%) and making purchasing decisions based on the sustainability of products (OECD average: 54%; 71% in the United Arab Emirates). Key Features of PISA 2025 in the United Arab Emirates The content • The PISA 2025 survey focused on science, with mathematics and reading as minor areas; an assessment of learning in the digital world measured s