Singapore’s PISA 2025 Maths Results: Strong Performance, but a Widening Student Gap

Singapore students remain among the world’s strongest performers in mathematics, according to the latest Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) results released in September 2026.

The overall results are encouraging, but they also reveal an important concern: the difference between Singapore’s strongest and weakest-performing students has widened. This suggests that strong national results do not necessarily mean every student is equally prepared to handle unfamiliar mathematical problems.

1. Singapore’s Latest PISA 2025 Mathematics Results

PISA is an international study conducted by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). It examines how effectively 15-year-old students can apply their knowledge to problems they may encounter outside a familiar classroom exercise.

Readers who are unfamiliar with the assessment can refer to our earlier guide on PISA assessment tests and PISA scores for an explanation of how PISA works and why its results matter.

In PISA 2025:

• Singapore placed second internationally for mathematics.
• 89% of Singapore students attained at least Level 2 proficiency in mathematics, compared with the OECD average of 65%.
• 37% attained Level 5 or Level 6, compared with the OECD average of 8%.
• Singapore students continued to perform above the OECD average in mathematics, reading and science.

Students at Level 2 can recognise how a straightforward situation may be represented mathematically without being given direct instructions. At Levels 5 and 6, students can model complex situations and compare different problem-solving strategies. oecd.org

These results indicate that Singapore has maintained a strong mathematics foundation. However, average mathematics performance was lower than in PISA 2022, even though it remained relatively stable when viewed over a longer period. oecd.org

2. The Difference Between Stronger and Weaker Students Has Widened

One of the more important findings is not Singapore’s overall position, but the growing distance between students at different performance levels.

Between 2022 and 2025, the gap between Singapore’s highest-scoring 10% and lowest-scoring 10% widened in mathematics, reading and science. Compared with 2015, the proportion of students performing below Level 2 in mathematics also increased by four percentage points. oecd.org

This means Singapore continues to produce many exceptionally strong mathematics students, but some students may be falling further behind.

The difference may not always be immediately visible from school examination results. Two students could receive similar marks while having very different levels of understanding:

• One may understand the concepts but lose marks through careless errors.
• Another may reproduce familiar procedures without knowing when to use them.
• One may cope well with routine exercises but struggle with unfamiliar applications.
• Another may understand the question but lack the algebraic foundation needed to complete it.

A test score records the outcome of a particular paper. It does not always reveal the reason behind the result.

3. What MOE Said About the Results

The Ministry of Education described the results as evidence of Singapore students’ strength in applying knowledge to complex problems and remaining engaged in learning.

PISA 2025 introduced an assessment of computational problem-solving. This examined how students used modelling and programming tools, conducted experiments, analysed information, and developed or debugged solutions.

Singapore achieved one of the highest mean scores internationally in this area. More than half of Singapore students were top performers in computational problem-solving, compared with approximately one-quarter across OECD countries. oecd.org

MOE also acknowledged the widening performance gap. It said the finding reinforced the importance of supporting students with different learning needs, including academically weaker students and students from more vulnerable backgrounds.

MOE highlighted measures such as:

• Additional manpower and resources for schools with more disadvantaged students
• Stronger after-school engagement
• Community partnerships supporting students and their families
• Continued assistance through ComLink+

The results therefore contain two messages. Singapore’s education system continues to produce strong outcomes, but continued attention is needed to prevent weaker students from being left behind. straitstimes.com

4. How Students Can Track Their Readiness for JC and H2 Math

Students should avoid measuring readiness through marks alone. A more useful review examines the types of questions they can complete independently and the reasons behind their mistakes.

Test independent application

Lastly, after correcting a question, the student should attempt:

1. The same question again without referring to the solution
2. A similar question with different values
3. A less familiar question testing the same concept
4. A mixed-topic question several days later

The concept is more secure only when the student can apply it without prompts.

For a more detailed framework, read How Should H2 Math Tuition Track a Student’s Progress?.

Strong National Results Still Require Individual Attention

Singapore’s PISA 2025 performance shows that students here continue to possess strong mathematical knowledge and problem-solving ability.

At the same time, national averages cannot describe the needs of an individual student. The widening gap between stronger and weaker performers makes accurate diagnosis increasingly important.

A student preparing for JC or H2 Mathematics needs more than completed worksheets and occasional test scores. Students need to know whether they can recognise concepts, select methods, connect topics and apply their knowledge when a question does not resemble one they have already seen.