National tests in 5th and 8th grade have been conducted annually since 2007. The tests are carried out in the beginning of the school year (September), and reflects the competence objectives of the curriculum in 4th and 7th grade. Three tests are carried out in both 5th and 8th grade &– reading in Norwegian, mathematics and reading in English.

Since 2010, identical tests to those in 8th grade in mathematics and Norwegian have also conducted in 9th grade. Starting 2010, both the tests in mathematics and reading English are conducted electronically.

The tests are intended as instruments for improvements and development activities locally (school and municipality level) and centrally (government level).

Important users of the education statistics are public administration, special interest organizations, the media, researchers, business and industry. Key users are in particular the Ministry of Education and Research and the Norwegian Directorate for Education and Training

The statistics on national tests can be viewed in connection with education statistics covering pupils in primary and lower secondary schools.

The Statistics Act of 16 June 1989 No. 54, section 2.2.

Not relevant

National tests are conducted in 5th and 8th grade in primary and lower secondary schools. The tests are obligatory for all pupils at these grades. Each school can give exemptions according to specified conditions.

The statistics include pupils in 5th and 8th grade who have completed national tests in English, reading and mathematics. Pupils who are exempted or who have not participated in the tests are not included. Statistics about exemption and non-participation in the national tests are available from the Norwegian Directorate for Education and Training online in Skoleporten .

In the statistics for 2011, participation rates are measured against the corresponding number of pupils registered 1 October the same year (GSI).

In the statistics for 2013, exemption rates by test are published.

The results from the national tests are collected through the test administration system (PAS), which is owned by the Norwegian Directorate for Education and Training.

Statistics Norway receives the data from the Norwegian Directorate for Education and Training under the provisions of the Statistics Act.

Not relevant

The headmaster at each school is responsible for registering the results in the test administration system (PAS). The data are stored in PAS for a limited period of time before encryption. Statistics Norway receives a copy of selected variables prior to the encryption.

The data are subject to various controls such as deletion of duplicates, comparisons with former data sets and a control of correct and valid values for each variable. All Personal ID-numbers are checked for errors.

The statistics for each national test (the three subjects) are based on calculating simple distributions of pupils across the various mastering levels.

The general rule is not to publish data if less than 3 pupils are found within a cell or unit in a table. This is to prevent identification of individuals within the statistics.

Changes over time for a given group of pupils (e.g. county results) should primarily be interpreted not as absolute improvement/decline, but as relative changes compared to other groups (e.g. other counties) or compared to the distribution at the national level.

Even though the distribution at the national level is maintained at an almost fixed level from one year to the next, there are some variations (cf. 4.1) that one should take into account when comparing results over time.

Since 2010, the results in 8th grade can be compared with the same pupils' results in 5th grade three years earlier. For some pupils (that didn't take part in the 5th grade test or came to the country after 5th grade) such a comparison is not possible. One should also note that the mastering level scale in 5th grade contains three level, whereas there are fifth levels in 8th grade. These levels are thus not directly comparable.

National tests in English in 5th grade were cancelled in 2011, therefore no results are presented for this test.

Mastering levels -- The mastering levels follow the guidelines given by the Norwegian Directorate for Education and Training. There are three levels for 5th grade and five levels for 8th grade. The pupils are placed at the different levels according to their sum score at the tests. In 2007 the Norwegian Directorate for Education and Training set the percentage distribution for the mastering levels. In the following years scores have been set in order to achieve approximately the same average mastering levels as in 2007 at the national level. For the national tests in 9th grade the 8th grade score intervals are used for each mastering level. For additional information about the mastering level score intervals, please refer to the website of the Norwegian Directorate for Education and Training

Number of pupils in 5th grade -- The total number of pupils in 5th grade at the school attended by the pupil. Only pupils answering at least one of the three national tests count towards the total in 5th grade at a given school.

Parents’ highest level of education is derived from register information in The National Education Database (NUDB). The new definitions of levels are used.

Immigration category is coded according to Standard for immigration category 2008. The term other pupils comprise the pupils in immigration categories A, D, E, F and G.

The centrality of pupils' school minicipality is coded according to the definitions in Centrality 2008.