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Standardized tests

Standardized Tests

Students at ISB take part in both national and international standardized testing protocols. In Norway national tests in reading, numeracy and English are carried out in Grades 5, 8 and 9. ISB students have exemption from the tests in English as these are designed for students in a Norwegian-medium school environment.

We are very proud that ISB students score favourably in these tests compared to their peers in local schools. In reading, students usually score on or slightly above average for their age at grade 5 level, while students in grade 9 generally score well above local averages. Most recent test results are given below.

Individual students can be given exemption from the tests in reading and numeracy if they have not been studying Norwegian language for a long time or if they have individual educational needs. 

Norwegian National Tests

International Schools' Assessment

ISB administers the International Schools’ Assessment(ISA) tests annually in grades 3, 5, 7 and 9. ISA is an assessment programme that has been specifically developed to measure the skills of international students in Mathematical Literacy, Reading and Writing. It was designed and developed by the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) and administered since 2001, with 340 schools participating in 2014-15.
ISA is based on the internationally endorsed Mathematical Literacy and Reading Frameworks of OECD’s Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA).

The ISA reports provide descriptive information about what students know and can do. The results can be used to track changes over time, at the individual and school level. The ISA also indicates differences in achievement between individuals and between groups that can be used to help review curriculum and instructional strategies.

Students complete a Reading test, two Mathematical Literacy tests and two Writing tests. The tests include both multiple choice and open-ended tasks.
ISB student results in ISA compare favourably with the results of students in other international schools and with the PISA results for individual nations. In general, as students progress through the school, their scores deviate further and further from the averages of their peers. Comparisons of the results for ISB’s students with national PISA scores are provided when the number of ISB students in the Grade 9 group is eleven or more.