A partnership to improve Pakistan’s National Achievement Test
Cambridge worked closely with the Pakistan Institute of Education (PIE) to improve the quality of the National Achievement Test (NAT) and build local capacity to take the test from strength to strength in the future.
Quick read
- Cambridge collaborated closely with the National Assessment Wing (NAW) of the Pakistan Institute of Education (PIE) to improve the National Achievement Test (NAT).
- Capacity building was central to the project, to help better equip NAW colleagues with the knowledge and skills to improve the quality and reliability of the test and support full engagement from the provinces.
This work is part of a wider project funded by the UK government (DARE) and managed by the World Bank to enable quality education for all children in Pakistan, particularly for girls and those marginalized by location, ethnicity, religion and disability.
Building capacity to improve assessment
Pakistan’s National Achievement Test (NAT) takes place every two years, testing learners in grades 4 and 8 on topics including English, Maths, Science, Urdu and Sindhi.
It is administered by the National Assessment Wing (NAW) of the Pakistan Institute of Education (PIE), part of the Ministry of Federal Education & Professional Training.
PIE wanted a partner to help them strengthen the test and provide capacity building for their team, to make the NAT a more reliable assessment with full engagement from the provinces. PIE’s aims included stronger data collection at regional and federal level, and benchmarking against international standards. They also wanted the test findings to be meaningful and widely distributed, to be used as the basis for recommendations that could improve teaching and learning.
Cambridge started working with PIE in 2022. Our partnership was part of a wider project funded by the UK government and managed by the World Bank to improve Pakistan's education system to enable quality education for all children.
As partners on this project, we were able to draw on assessment expertise developed over 150 years on projects in South Asia and all over the world, including the development of capacity by exchanging knowledge and skills with local experts.
Our outputs
The core of our work on this project was partnering with PIE to deliver the National Achievement Test (NAT) in May 2023.
Working in collaboration with PIE and other stakeholders, Cambridge:
- Developed enhanced capacity and capability amongst NAW colleagues and exam administrators in the delivery and operation of the NAT
- Helped strengthen institutions, including establishing revised roles and responsibilities of NAW
- Created a revised 2023 framework for the NAT benchmarked against international best practice and responding to Pakistan’s new national curriculum
- Improved the technical design of the assessment and the question items for the 2023 test
- Strengthened test processes and implementation for 2023 including developing operating principles, procedures, and instructions for the tests to ensure usable valid data from tests
- Improved usability of data to inform policy outcomes at a regional and national level and ensure that data informs education policy and programming
- Strengthened analytical and reporting outcomes for the tests – including training and skills development for staff, benchmarking with best practice, and designing and publication of guidance documents
- Helped effectively disseminate the results from the large scale assessment in reports and other information products and events tailored to different stakeholder groups.
A significant part of the project was conducting training in Islamabad for NAW and regional experts on item writing, review and analysis, and test construction. Muhammad Shakeel, Director, National Assessment Wing, PIE said
Technical assistance provided by Cambridge not only improved our national assessment processes but also made our results more reliable. It helped us in capturing data on various SDG 4 indicators for improving quality of education in Pakistan.
Feedback on these trainings was positive. A Science subject participant at training delivered in December 2022 commented: “During training I got the knowledge about validity, reliability, principles of good assessment. I got training constructing good, valid, reliable test items, and reviewing the items. The trainer was knowledgeable, friendly, dedicated to her work. Content was relevant. I have upgraded my expertise.”
In addition, an English subject participant at training delivered in March 2023 said: “It was a great opportunity for me to learn necessary skills and knowledge related with item reviewing and item development writing. The trainer was very knowledgeable, friendly and accommodating.”
During the final training workshop in November 2023, a Mathematics subject participant said: "The training was very helpful for us. I learnt a lot from the training such as new ideas, new techniques for assessment, how to modify 'knowledge' questions into 'applying' or 'reasoning'.”
Meanwhile, our core deliverable – the NAT itself – was developed and sat in May 2023, and Cambridge experts analysed the results, and submitted the full report to our partners. The National Achievement Test Findings Report represents a culmination of rigorous analysis, incorporating invaluable feedback and insights from including the World Bank, our Technical Working Group, the Ministry of Federal Education and Professional Training, and PIE. The collaborative effort ensured a robust evaluation of the educational landscape, with the aim of informing policy decisions and fostering continuous improvement in the realm of education.
We also developed a communications strategy for the dissemination of the NAT results. This communication strategy focused on:
- raising awareness and creating a broader understanding of NAT.
- sharing the results of NAT 2023, including a launch event;
- working towards establishing PIE as the communication focal point for NAT; and
- highlighting the connection between effective training and testing initiatives with long-term benefits to education reform and quality of education.
If you’re working to improve the quality of your country’s education system, then please contact us to find out how we can help you achieve your goals.
