As Japan is one of the members of OECD/PISA Survey (Programme for International Student Assessment), NIER is in charge of the implementation of the survey. PISA carries out the survey every three years in three categories of learning for students at the age of 15: reading comprehension, mathematics literacy and scientific literacy. According to the previous three surveys in 2000, 2003 and 2006, NIER played a key role in publishing the Japanese version of the international reports on each survey.
 In the 2006 survey focusing on scientific literacy, the international results were disclosed on December 4, 2007 and the Japanese version was published after collecting and analyzing data from each country.
 The results of the PISA survey which have been disclosed worldwide had a significant influence on educational administrations and educational institutions of various countries. The Japanese report also received a lot of attention in Japan, and the contents were reflected in MEXT policies such as "Recommendations for Learning"(MANABI NO SUSUME) and even in discussions of the Central Council for Education.
 Consequently, as the results triggered the nationwide academic ability survey, it is obvious that the survey has had comparative affects on issues relating to academic ability in Japan, which are of high concern these days. Recent examples of its affect can be seen in the decision making of the government regarding educational policies and administrative directions based on 2006 Survey which was disclosed in December 2007. This includes a revision of the curriculum to increase the number of classroom hours, improve the contents of arithmetic/mathematics and science classes and introduce strategies to raise children's motivation and interest levels. Accordingly, the PISA Survey became widely known as a strictly fact-based survey in accordance with international regulations which attracts a lot of attention both at home and abroad. The Japanese version of the international survey is also referred to in various research papers, critical essays and articles of press.
 The director of the Department for International Research and Co-operation of NIER is the executive director responsible for the international and Japanese PISA survey projects, with the title of Representative Director of Japan for PISA Survey and the chairman of the PISA board. NIER has a project team for the survey beyond the departments and centers. The Department for International Co-operation mainly plays a key role in implementing the survey.

 NIER participated in an international IEA survey (Second International Technology in Education Study: SITES 2006) regarding the use of information and communication technology (ICT) in education. This survey was conducted and the Japanese version of the international report was published in 2006. NIER is also responsible for international liaison and coordination concerning the international survey on mathematics and science.

 The International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA) carries out TIMSS (Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study), which covers Japanese data. NIER is in charge of the implementation of the survey. This survey is to evaluate achievement levels and assess various aspects of education arithmetic/mathematics and science for children at ages 10-14. This survey has been conducted every four years, in 1995, 1999, 2003 and 2007. It was conducted in 59 countries/regions worldwide in 2007. Japan selected 150 schools approximately 6,000 students nationwide at random for elementary school grade 4 and junior high school grade 2 to take part in the survey in March 2007. The results were disclosed in December 2008.
 In FY2009, the first fiscal year of the research project for the 2011 survey, the framework of the survey and the questions on arithmetic/mathematics and science will be put together in cooperation with the head office, and a field study will be conducted.
 This survey aims to identify changes in achievement levels of students in arithmetic/mathematics and science from the results of the survey conducted every four years, as well as to collect data from the surveys of the participating countries in order to provide a reference for future curriculum development.