Berlin: Fifteen-year-old German students recorded their weakest results since the OECD launched its PISA tests 25 years ago, with about one in three students failing to reach basic levels in reading and mathematics, according to findings released on Tuesday.

According to Anadolu Agency, students scored 486 points in science, 465 in reading, and 464 in mathematics. The average 2025 results in Germany were lower than in 2022 in mathematics and reading and about the same as in 2022 in science. About one in four 15-year-olds lacked basic science skills.

Education Minister Karin Prien expressed concern over the findings, stating, "What we are seeing today is, without any doubt, an alarming finding." She emphasized that too many young people are failing to achieve the basic competencies required for their future educational paths, highlighting social media, artificial intelligence, and the difficult circumstances of students from socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds as major challenges.

The Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) evaluates whether 15-year-olds can apply their knowledge to everyday tasks, such as understanding a longer email, comparing prices, or reading a chart. Approximately 6,700 students from about 250 German schools participated in the spring 2025 assessments. Globally, around 760,000 students from 91 countries and economies took the 2025 tests.

Despite the historic slump domestically, Germany remained close to the OECD average of 482 in science, 461 in reading, and 463 in mathematics. Fourteen OECD countries, including Estonia, Canada, Switzerland, and Austria, scored higher overall, while the Netherlands and France were close to Germany.