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Programme for the International
Assessment of Adult Competencies

PIAAC Public Use Files (International)

OECD

Public Use Files containing individual unit record data in SAS, SPSS and CSV format are available for downloading for each of the countries participating in the Survey of Adult Skills. These contain both responses to the background questionnaire and the cognitive assessment (literacy, numeracy and problem solving in technology-rich environments). The international PIAAC Public Use Files contain data sets of 35 countries that participated in PIAAC until today (Round 1, Round 2 and Round 3) and are freely available at: https://www.oecd.org/skills/piaac/data/

Notes. To access the Australian Public Use File please send a mail: microdata(dot)access(at)abs.gov(dot)au

  • Citation: Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) (2016). Programme for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC), Germany* Public Use File (Version: 18834098*, prgdeup1.sav*). Paris: OECD Publishing.

         *Replace with the corresponding country name, version number and file name

Cyprus

The Cyprus Public Use File (SPSS and Stata format) is available via GESIS Data Catalogue and contains responses to the background questionnaire and the cognitive assessment (literacy, numeracy and problem solving in technologyrich environments). Available at: https://dx.doi.org/10.4232/1.12632

  • Citation: Michaelidou-Evripidou, A., Modestou, M., Karagiorgi, Y., Polydorou, A., Nicolaidou, M., Afantiti-Lamprianou, T., Kendeou, P., Tsouris, C., & Loukaides, C. (2016). Programme for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC), Cyprus. Data file version 1.1.0 [ZA5650]. Cologne: GESIS Data Archive. doi: 10.4232/1.12632.

Austria

The Austrian PIAAC Public Use File (OECD 2016) contains information on the respondents’ background and on their cognitive assessment (in literacy, numeracy, and problem solving in technology-rich environments). The Extended PIAAC Public Use File for Austria contains additional national education variables. Available at: https://statistik.gv.at/web_en/statistics/PeopleSociety/education/survey_of_adult_skills/public_use_data_files_of_the_piaac_survey_2011_12/index.html

  • Citation: Statistics Austria (2015). Programme for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC),Extended Public Use File PIAAC 2011/12 for Austria. Vienna: Statistics Austria.

Canada

The Public Use Microdata File (PUMF) from the Programme for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC) provides data on three skills that are essential to processing information: literacy, numeracy, and problem-solving in technology-rich environments (referred to as PS-TRE). Data are based on interviews with approximately 27,000 respondents, which allows for reliable estimation at the national, provincial and territorial level. The file provides information about the literacy, numeracy and PS-TRE skills for the Canadian population aged 16 to 65. It provides results for Canada as a whole, as well as for all the provinces and territories. In addition, it provides skills proficiency information and a range of socio-demographic characteristics (e.g., age, gender, level of education) across the entire Canadian population. It also provides information on the literacy, numeracy and PS-TRE skills of Aboriginal populations, immigrants, and officiallanguage minority communities. Available at: https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/en/catalogue/89-555-X2013002

  • Citation: Canada, S. (2013). PUMF 2012 - Programme for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC) [Catalogue number. 89-555-X2013002]. Ottawa: Statistics Canada.

New Zealand

The New Zealand PIAAC Public Use File (OECD 2016) contains information on respondents’ background and on their cognitive assessment (in literacy, numeracy, and problem solving in technology-rich environments). For New Zealand, an Extended Public Use File (SPSS, Stata and SAS format) is available with country-specific variables (e.g., education) and international variables (e.g., a continuous age variable) that were confidentialised or suppressed for the Public Use File version. Available at: https://www.educationcounts.govt.nz/data-services/international/piaac

  • Citation: New Zealand Ministry of Education (2016). Programme for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC), New Zealand Public Use File - Extended. Wellington: Ministry of Education.

USA

The PIAAC 2012/14 U.S. Public Use File (PUF) contains individual unit record data (SPSS, SAS and Raw Format) including both responses to the background questionnaire and the cognitive assessment from both the first and second U.S. PIAAC data collections, completed in 2012 and 2014, respectively. In September 2017, the PUF was reissued, with an Errata Sheet detailing the revisions. Statistical disclosure control treatments were applied due to confidentiality concerns. For more details on the PUF, please refer to Appendix E of the U.S. PIAAC Technical Report (NCES 2016-036REV). Available at: https://nces.ed.gov/pubsearch/pubsinfo.asp?pubid=2016667REV

  • Citation: Holtzman, S., Kandathil, M., Kapur, L., Kline, D., Barone, J., Li, L., Krenzke, T., Hogan, J., Mohadjer,L., et al. (2016). Program for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC) 2012/2014: U.S. National Supplement Public Use Data Files-Household [NCES 2016667REV]. Washington DC: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics

The 2014 PIAAC U.S. Prison Study Public Use File (PUF) contains individual unit record data (SPSS, SAS and Raw Format) including responses to both the background questionnaire and the cognitive assessment from the data collection completed in 2014. Statistical disclosure control treatments were applied due to confidentiality concerns. For more details on the Prison Study PUF, please refer to Appendix E of the U.S. PIAAC Technical Report 2012/2014 (NCES 2016-036REV). Available at: https://nces.ed.gov/pubsearch/pubsinfo.asp?pubid=2016337

  • Citation: Hogan, J., Thornton, N., Diaz-Hoffmann, L., Mohadjer, L., Krenzke, T., Li, J., & Van De Kerckhove, W. (2016). Program for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC) 2014: U.S. National Supplement Public Use Data Files-Prison [NCES 2016337REV]. Washington DC: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics.