Percentage of 15-year-old male students scoring higher than 698 on the PISA reading scale. Readers at Level 6 can comprehend lengthy and abstract texts in which the information of interest is deeply embedded and only indirectly related to the task. They can compare, contrast and integrate information representing multiple and potentially conflicting perspectives, using multiple criteria and generating inferences across distant pieces of information to determine how the information may be used. Readers at Level 6 can reflect deeply on the text’s source in relation to its content, using criteria external to the text. They can compare and contrast information across texts, identifying and resolving inter-textual discrepancies and conflicts through inferences about the sources of information, their explicit or vested interests, and other cues as to the validity of the information. Tasks at Level 6 typically require the reader to set up elaborate plans, combining multiple criteria and generating inferences to relate the task and the text(s). Materials at this level include one or several complex and abstract text(s), involving multiple and possibly discrepant perspectives. Target information may take the form of details that are deeply embedded within or across texts and potentially obscured by competing information. 2000, 2003, and 2006 PISA assessments used a different reading proficiency scale (Levels 1 to 5) than later assessments. Level 6 data were not available in the 2000/2003/2006 PISA Reports, so these figures were calculated based on the current PISA Reading Proficiency Level 6 (698+). Use caution in comparing proficiency scores across years. For more information on comparability of results, consult the PISA website: http://www.oecd.org/pisa/