102,000 Elementary, Middle, and High School Students in Seoul and Busan to Take Literacy and Numeracy Diagnostic Test

A total of 665 schools and students participate
"Assessing fundamental competencies to provide policy support"

The Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education announced on October 27 that it will conduct the 'Seoul Student Literacy and Numeracy Diagnostic Test' (Seoul S-PLAN) for elementary, middle, and high school students in Seoul and Busan.

The Seoul Student Literacy and Numeracy Diagnostic Test is an assessment tool for literacy and numeracy, first developed nationwide by the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education in 2023.

Literacy refers to the ability to accurately comprehend and effectively express various types and formats of texts in both learning and life contexts. Numeracy is the ability to use mathematical concepts and methods to reason, communicate, and solve problems in a variety of situations, including academic and everyday life. The test items are designed to measure literacy and numeracy in both daily life and learning scenarios, and include cross-curricular items as well as questions that assess real-life problem-solving skills.

With the signing of a work agreement between the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education and the Busan Metropolitan Office of Education last September, students in Busan will also participate in this diagnostic test.

A total of 102,000 students-including fourth and sixth graders in elementary school, second-year middle school students, and first-year high school students-from 665 schools, as well as students at youth support centers and Korean schools abroad, will take the test. This is an increase of about 26% compared to the 525 schools that participated last year.

This year’s diagnostic test will be conducted as a computer-based assessment, with the testing period divided into two phases: the first from October 27 to November 7, and the second from December 15 to December 26. Schools can autonomously choose their preferred date within these windows.

The diagnostic subjects consist of four areas: Literacy I, Literacy II, Numeracy I, and Numeracy II. Each test lasts 40 minutes for elementary students, 45 minutes for middle school students, and 50 minutes for high school students, conducted over four sessions in total.

The results will be provided in December. The report will include the achievement levels for each stage of literacy and numeracy, the percentage of correct answers and attainment in sub-areas, as well as learning recommendations.

The Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education plans to actively use the test results to implement support programs aimed at improving the literacy and numeracy skills of Seoul students.

Jung Geunsik, Superintendent of the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education, stated, "Through this Seoul Student Literacy and Numeracy Diagnostic Test, we will be able to accurately and systematically assess students' fundamental competencies and provide tailored policy support for each student."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.