The Condition of Education 1997, Supplemental Table 20-1
Table 20-1: Average mathematics proficiency scores of eighth-grade students, by country and sex: 1995
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Average score Percentile distribution
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Country Total Boys Girls 5th 25th 50th 75th 95th
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Singapore 643 642 645 499 584 642 704 792
Korea 607 615 598 418 540 609 682 786
Japan 605 609 600 435 536 608 676 771
Hong Kong 588 597 577 415 526 595 659 742
Belgium (Fl)\1\ 565 563 567 416 502 566 631 710
Czech Republic 564 569 558 423 496 558 633 725
Slovak Republic 547 549 545 401 483 543 612 700
Switzerland\2\ 545 548 543 401 485 549 607 685
Netherlands\3\ 541 545 536 397 477 543 604 688
Slovenia\3\ 541 545 537 404 477 535 604 690
Bulgaria\3\ 540 — — 378 460 530 621 728
Austria\3\ 539 544 536 393 474 537 608 693
France 538 542 536 415 484 534 591 666
Hungary 537 537 537 391 471 534 602 693
Russian Federation 535 535 536 388 471 536 600 687
Australia\3\ 530 527 532 372 460 529 600 690
Canada 527 526 530 389 468 527 587 670
Ireland 527 535 520 381 462 526 594 681
Belgium (Fr)\3\ 526 530 524 385 467 532 587 658
Israel\3\ 522 539 509 371 459 523 586 672
Thailand\3\ 522 517 526 388 462 518 580 669
Sweden 519 520 518 384 460 515 579 661
Germany\1\,\2\,\3\ 509 512 509 368 448 506 572 661
New Zealand 508 512 503 366 443 503 570 663
England\1\,\2\ 506 508 504 361 443 501 570 665
Norway 503 505 501 372 445 499 560 649
Denmark\3\ 502 511 494 369 443 500 561 641
United States\2\ 500 502 497 356 435 494 563 653
Scotland\3\ 498 506 490 364 436 493 559 649
Latvia (LSS)\2\ 493 496 491 375 435 487 550 638
Iceland 487 488 486 365 435 481 540 615
Spain 487 492 483 376 436 481 536 616
Greece\3\ 484 490 478 347 422 478 546 633
Romania\3\ 482 483 480 343 418 476 544 635
Lithuania\2\ 477 477 478 348 422 473 533 616
Cyprus 474 472 475 333 412 469 535 621
Portugal 454 460 449 357 411 449 495 569
Iran, Islamic Rep. 428 434 421 336 388 424 466 535
Kuwait\3\ 392 — — 302 355 389 427 493
Colombia\3\ 385 386 384 292 343 379 421 496
South Africa\3\ 354 360 349 259 313 347 386 484
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— Not available.
1/ A participation rate of 75 percent of the schools and students combined was achieved only after replacement for refusals were substituted. See the supplemental note to this indicator for further explanation.
2/ More than 10 percent of the population was excluded from testing. See the supplemental note to this indicator for further explanation. Latvia is designated LSS because only Latvian-speaking schools were tested.
3/ Countries which did not meet international guidelines. See the supplemental note to this indicator for further explanation.
SOURCE: International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement, TIMSS International Study Center, Mathematics Achievement in the Middle School Years, IEA's Third International Mathematics and Science Study, 1996, tables 1.1, 1.6, and E.1.