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, average writing performance in PILNA 2021 is compared to writing performance over previous PILNA cycles. This gives an indication of how writing performance is trending 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 three writing performancesection above, the average writing score for grade three students in Papua New Guinea appears to be increasing. The average writing score for a grade three student in 2018 was 445.30 (SD = 75.54) and in 2021 it was 505.63 (SD =36.93). With grade three boys scoring similarly on average to grade three girls in writing performance in 2021, boys are equally likely to be meeting writing performance expectations as girls.