MSTers Out-Test the World

Though tests are not part of a day-to-day Montessori education, MST students from the third grade and up take the International Benchmark Test, or IBT, annually. “The school views this as a Practical Life activity, giving students a chance to experience standardized testing,” explains Assistant Head of School Gel Vicencio.

For many of the students, this is their first time to take such a test, and most approach the endeavor with curiosity. “I like figuring out puzzles and problems so it was fun,” noted a Ginkgo student.

The IBT was chosen over other standardized tests because the questions emphasize contextual problem-solving over rote memorization. And unlike many standardized tests that have moved over to screen-based test-taking, the IBTs can still be taken with pencil and paper, fitting MST’s ethos towards analog and hands-on learning.

While MST seeks to deemphasize the results of the test, as they are more an indication of test-taking ability than knowledge and comprehension, we wonder––how do we compare with the rest of the world? On the whole, there is enough research to indicate that  children receiving a Montessori education score higher than average than the general population, even accounting for family income and other advantages. And the results of our children’s IBT scores confirm these findings.

So what is the sample size that our scores are averaged against? ACER, the not-for-profit educational organization that runs IBT, reports that they deliver “more than 7 million assessments every year” in more than 600 schools worldwide. Our students took the English and Math exams and the following results are from the 2024-2025 school year.

Elementary

In English, the 52 third to sixth graders that took part in the exam scored in the top mean average of 72.3%, with the median at 78.6%, compared to all students worldwide. In the Math portion of the test, they placed even higher with a mean of 79.52% and a median of 87.95%.

Middle School

In the English part of the test, our 19 middle schoolers placed in the top 71.59%, with an impressive median of 93.6%. For the Math portion, they scored in the top 64.14% of all test takers, with a median of 79.9%. 

For such small sample sizes, the median is a better indicator of the score level. In our case, they trend higher than the mean. Either way, the results are stellar and especially remarkable considering that testing is not part of the Montessori curriculum. The majority of the children have had minimal experience, if any, with the medium; test-takers only have one session of practice before the exam day. 

Whether your child averaged higher or lower than our school averages, it is just a snapshot of a specific tool with many factors affecting the outcome. And it is a single tile in the mosaic of their development as a whole human being.

Wind Edward Kim