PISA Plus was a longitudinal national add-on study to the PISA 2012 survey in which the performance of the same students was tested who had been tested one year before. The study used PISA-tasks as well as tasks of the competence-test for education standards.

The study aimed to show perceptions on the influencing factors of students’ competence development and to motivate developing and validating methods for data evaluation (control sampling, scaling of performance data).

The research focused on the following question:  

• What kind of increases in competencies and knowledge can be made through PISA tests and other tests for reviewing the accomplishing of education standards within the academic year?
• What influencing factors can be seen on the development of (mathematical) competencies of students by repeating classes?
• What characteristics in teaching classes are influencing the performance and motivational development of students?
• Are there reciprocal correlations between competencies, motivational characteristics and interests of students?
• What are the impacts of social and immigration related characteristics for developing competencies?
• What effects on student competencies do school level related factors have in the face of teaching structure and outcome?