The numeracy and reading sections compare student performance to proficiency scales that describe expected student performance, based on the number of years of schooling. A proficiency scale for writing ability is not, however, currently available, although one will be created and the PILNA 2021 writing results will be compared to it.

For now, the average writing performance in PILNA 2021 is compared to the writing performance over previous PILNA cycles. This gives an indication of writing performance over time, but it does not show whether writing performance is at the level Pacific stakeholders expect it to be.

As shown in the grade five writing performance section, the average writing score for grade five students in Federated States of Micronesia appears to be increasing. The score for a grade five student in 2015 was 403.67 (SD = 92.22), in 2018 it was 451.99 (SD = 93.53), and in 2021 it was 472.53 (SD = 68.30). With grade five girls scoring higher on average than grade five boys in writing performance in 2015, 2018 and 2021, girls are more likely to be meeting writing performance expectations than are boys.