NSA is a large-scale assessment that uses a nationally representative sample-based approach to obtain information about the learning levels of students in grades 3 and 5 in the schools of Bangladesh in two foundational subjects: literacy (Bangla) and numeracy (mathematics). NSA does not report learning achievement at the level of individual students; instead, it reports learner performance at the national level. The assessment also tries to establish the association between learner performance and contextual variables in order to provide useful information to education planners, policymakers, and researchers.