Central Data Catalog

The National Assessment Survey (NAS) has been administered every two years since 1998 by the Examinations Council of Zambia to grade 5 (ISCED 1) and grade 9 (ISCED 2) students in public, private, grant-aided and community schools. At the lower-secondary education level, the NAS targets students in general education programmes only.

The NAS is a low-stake assessment. It is a written assessment, administered face-to-face and delivered through paper-pencil tests. All test-takers are presented with the same cognitive booklets or tests, which are aligned with the national curriculum.

The NAS serves the following purposes:

- designing individualised instructional plans

- supporting teachers (training, relevant materials, etc.)

- school or educator accountability

- sub-national level monitoring of learning outcomes

- monitoring education quality levels

- planning education policy reforms

- measuring impacts of educational inputs

The NAS accommodates students with special needs, by providing the following arrangements:

- Hearing impairment: sign language interpreters

- Visual impairment: test materials with large fonts and in braille

- Physical disability: additional time

- Emotional disturbance: additional time

Random sample

Results are reported at the sub-national and national levels. Data are disaggregated by sex, geographic location (urban and rural) and type of schools (public, private, grant-aided and community).

Results are published in reports, which are available in print. Results are also broadcasted on the radio and on televvision and published in the media.