PIAAC data and methodology

The PIAAC database contains the full set of responses from youths and adults. These files will be of use to statisticians and professional researchers who would like to undertake their own analysis of the PIAAC data. The files include the Public Use Files (PUF), codebooks, background questionnaires and all materials needed to process the data.

The Survey of Adult Skills (PIAAC) has been developed as a continuation of two pre-existing surveys: the International Adult Literacy Skills Survey (IALS) and the Adult Literacy and Life Skills Survey (ALL). 
Public use microdata files containing data from the International Adult Literacy Skills Survey (IALS) and the Adult Literacy and Life Skills Survey (ALL) can be accessed from Statistics Canada using the following link: 
https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/89m0016x/89m0016x2024001-eng.htm

The Remote Code Execution (RCE) Service is a secure tool that enables approved researchers to conduct advanced statistical analyses on the PIAAC Restricted Use Files (RUFs). It facilitates analysis on Cycle 1 and Cycle 2 data.

This service significantly broadens the research potential beyond what is already possible with the Public Use Files (PUFs), which were released in December 2024. The PUFs do not contain all the information collected in PIAAC; many countries requested the suppression or coarsening of certain variables to comply with data protection rules and prevent the reidentification of adults who participated in the survey.

In the future, the RCE service will also facilitate research use of national variables, which are neither included in the PUFs, nor included in the international codebook.

Through the RCE Service, researcher with an approved project by the OECD can exploit the RUFs by submitting STATA code to a secure environment. The code is executed remotely by OECD staff. After a confidentiality review, only aggregated, non-identifiable outputs of the statistical analysis are returned to the researcher. At no point do researchers directly access or download the underlying microdata, ensuring full compliance with national regulations and with the OECD data protection standards.

How to apply to the Remote Code Execution Service

The RCE Service is open to qualified researchers whose proposals meet defined eligibility and quality criteria. Applicants must be affiliated with recognised academic, research, or policy institutions. Their project must demonstrate clear analytical value and alignment with the OECD’s mission.

To be considered for access, applicants must:

• Hold an advanced degree (Master’s or PhD) in a relevant discipline (e.g. economics, sociology, education, statistics).
• Be affiliated with a recognised institution
• Demonstrate experience in working with microdata and proficiency in statistical software.
• Submit a research proposal that cannot be conducted using publicly available PIAAC Public Use Files (PUFs).
• Show that the proposed project is relevant, methodologically rigorous, and feasible within the RCE framework.
• Have a sound understanding of research ethics and data protection principles.

All research must contribute to the evidence base on adult skills, education and training systems, labour market outcomes, or other PIAAC-related themes.

Applications can be submitted online on a rolling basis and must include:

• A completed application form 
• A detailed research proposal outlining research objectives, methodological approaches, and expected outputs.
• A curriculum vitae, including a list of publications
• A letter of institutional affiliation of the principal investigator (applicant) confirming current employment or enrolment, including a contact point in the institution(s) in case of follow-up questions.
• A copy of a national identification document of the principal investigator (applicant) for verification purposes.
• A signed agreement to the Terms of Use of the RCE Service.

Applications will be reviewed by a selection committee in the OECD Secretariat on a rolling basis. Proposals are assessed based on scientific merit, policy relevance, alignment with OECD priorities, and researcher qualifications.

How to use the Remote Code Execution Service

If the application is accepted, researchers will be able to  i) submit analytical code for execution within the OECD environment and ii) retrieve statistical outputs following confidentiality review via the OECD’s secure file exchange system.

Access to the RCE service will be granted for an initial period of three months, with the possibility of extension for up to one year, depending on project progress and continued compliance with all requirements.

Researchers are provided with coding guidelines to ensure that their code can be run efficiently in the RCE system. They are strongly encouraged to test any code using the Public Use Files, which share the same structure as the Restricted Use Files. Researchers will receive automated feedback in the event of errors in their code. However, no individual support will be provided for correcting the code.

Supporting Documentation and forms

• Application Form
• User Guide: Working with the RCE Service 
• Agreement to the Terms of Use 
• Coding guidelines and template script 
• Public Use Files (PUFs) to be used as mock dataset 
• The International Master Background Questionnaires of Cycle 1 and Cycle 2
• The codebook listing all variables contained in the international RUFs for      Cycle 1 and Cycle 2
• The PIAAC Data Analysis Manual, which describes the dataset content in more details and provides guidance on data analysis
• The PIAAC Technical Report, which offers thorough documentation of all methodological and technical aspects related to the implementation of the PIAAC survey
• Frequently Asked Questions (forthcoming)

For further information, please contact the PIAAC Secretariat at EDU.PIAAC@OECD.org