More girls than boys performed at or above the expected minimum proficiency levels in both year levels. In year four 35% of girls met or achieved above the minimum proficiency levels, compared to 15% for boys and in year six, 53% of girls were at or above the minimum proficiency levels compared to 36% of boys.

Girls also achieved higher average reading scores than boys in both year four and year six. At the year four level, the difference in average reading scores between girls and boys was 58 points. At the year six level, the difference in average reading scores between girls and boys was 37 points.

Eighty-five per cent of the participating schools in Tuvalu were administrated by the government and 15% by non-government organisations.

Years four and six students in non-government schools performed better than students in government schools. The difference in average scores is more in year six (30 points) than in year four (16 points).

Sixty per cent of the participating schools in Tuvalu are located in urban areas and 40% in non-urban areas.

Year four students in non-urban schools performed better than students in urban schools. The average reading scores were 412 points for students in non-urban schools and 397 points for those in urban schools.

Year six students in urban schools scored 474 points and students in non-urban schools scored 467 points.

The coding of student responses in reading shows that students in Tuvalu struggled when asked to identify information when there is competing text in the way. Students at both year four and year six struggled when asked to interpret what they had read, make inferences, and think critically about what they had read in order to form an opinion or give a reason for a response.