This paper examines the use of educational standards and benchmarks in international indicator and other relevant policy publications, particularly those originating in the UK. The authors first examine what is meant by educational standards and benchmarks and how these concepts are defined. Then, they address the use of standards and benchmarks in two key indicator publications, Education at a Glance (EAG) and Key Data (KD), and provide further detailed examples from UK government publications, particularly in relation to target setting. (Contains 1 figure and 1 footnote.)