The Minister of Education explains the results of Romanian students in the PISA tests

The poor results of Romanian students in the PISA tests can be explained, at least in part, by the difference between assessments in Romania, conducted on paper, and the PISA testing, carried out on computers, Education Minister Mihai Dimian said at Profit.ro’s “Marathon for the Future of Romania – Education That Builds the Future” event.

The minister said that the PISA tests were administered in March, April and May 2025 and reflect nearly the students’ entire eight-to-nine-year schooling journey. He stressed that the results were also influenced by the effects of the pandemic, described as “a biological virus, but also a cognitive virus.”

Dimian said Romania’s decline is part of an international trend, but believes students need to learn to apply their knowledge and skills more effectively in real-life situations. Since 2022, PISA testing has been conducted on computers, while the National Assessment and assessments in the second, fourth and sixth grades are taken on paper.

The minister announced that more than 2,500 science laboratories have been developed and that approximately 100,000 teachers have received training in digital pedagogy. The modernization effort targets around 95,000 classrooms and between two and three million students. According to the minister, the use of computer-based tests and more applied exercises could help reduce the gap with OECD countries.