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Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS) 2026 started

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Zwei Kinder schauen sich im Klassenzimmer zusammen etwas auf ihrem Tablet an © iStock.com​/​lisegagne
International study on reading literacy in fourth grade has started – 60 participating countries in the IGLU/PIRLS 2026 large scale assessment.

The beginning of April saw the official launch of the Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS) 2026, for which the IFS is responsible as national research coordinator for Germany. Every five years, the school performance study analyses the reading literacy of fourth-graders in Germany in an international comparison.

Since 2001, the study has provided important data for educational monitoring and enables statements to be made about trends in the school system.

The first consortium meeting of the participating national project partners from the University of Regensburg, the DIPF Leibniz Institute for Research and Information in Education, the Goethe University Frankfurt and the Georg August University Göttingen took place on 11 April.

The schedule for the two assessment and survey rounds (field test 2025 and main survey 2026) was determined and the content of the questionnaires discussed, which will be supplemented by an internationally standardized section for specific national questions. Around 4,000 students from all 16 federal states will be involved in the main survey in 2026, with digital reading assessments and questionnaires being used. The associated teachers, principals, and parents will also be surveyed. The aim is to analyze correlations between reading literacy and student characteristics, teaching, school and family and to derive recommendations for action.

The results of the study will then be published in December 2027 and show the latest developments in the reading literacy of our primary school students.