EGRA / EGMA

Languages

Language adaptation is a core feature of EGRA and EGMA. Instruments are typically developed specifically for the language and curriculum context in which they are used.

As a result:

• Hundreds of language versions have been developed worldwide.
• Many African countries have implemented assessments in multiple local languages.
• Assessment tasks, benchmarks, and oral reading fluency expectations are often language-specific.

This flexibility makes EGRA highly useful for instructional diagnosis but limits direct comparisons across countries and languages.

SDG 4.1.1a and minimum proficiency

EGRA and EGMA are not centrally standardised global assessments. They can provide strong evidence on foundational learning, but minimum proficiency thresholds vary by country, language, grade, and study design. Oral reading fluency benchmarks are often used, but they should be interpreted carefully, especially across languages.

The Early Grade Reading Assessment (EGRA) and Early Grade Mathematics Assessment (EGMA) were designed to measure foundational reading and mathematics skills in the early grades. EGRA was developed in 2006 with support from USAID as a low-cost oral assessment of the basic skills that underpin reading development. EGMA followed as a complementary tool to assessment basic mathematics skills. They have been implemented in over 50 countries and used for nationally representative studies and programme evaluations.

Use the map to explore the languages of assessment and see participating African countries. 

Get the data

Access to EGRA data is especially fragmented, reflecting the decentralised and project-based nature of its implementation. Microdata are often retained by implementing agencies or ministries and are not routinely archived in public repositories.

While USAID-funded EGRAs were meant to be deposited in the USAID Development Data Library, a substantial backlog developed. After the closure of USAID’s education office, AFLEARN worked closely with partners to recover these datasets - over 2,500 files from 109 projects across 43 countries, representing more than 20 years of evidence. The salvaged studies are now publicly available on the Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research (ICPSR) DataLumos platform. Explore our interactive map to see which African datasets are available (with direct links to DataLumos).

View our interactive map

AFLEARN resources

AFLEARN has just launched the African Harmonized Early-Grade Assessment Database (AHEAD) on the DataFirst open data portal.

Access the dataset

What is assessed?

EGRA reading: Common subtasks include letter-sound knowledge, familiar word reading, non-word decoding, oral reading fluency, reading comprehension, and listening comprehension.

EGMA numeracy: Common subtasks include number identification, quantity discrimination, missing number, addition, subtraction, and word problems.

How is it administered?

EGRA and EGMA are usually school-based and administered one-on-one. Some studies are nationally representative, but many are project-based and cover only selected regions, grades, or programme schools.