<p>It has become a hot research topic to dig out the information of formative evaluation from international large-scale evaluation. As an international large-scale assessment with the most participating countries, and the most far-reaching influence, The Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) has played an important role in the international comparison of mathematics. In this study, 4733 Grade 8 students from Gansu, Guizhou, Shanghai, and Guangdong provinces (cities) in mainland China were selected as the test subjects. With a set of test questionnaires in the TIMSS 2015 mathematics assessment as the evaluation tool, we have divided basic knowledge into nine attributes, which are integers, decimals, expressions and operations, relations and functions, equations and inequalities, geometric figures, measurement and transformation, data and statistics, and possibility. Moreover, through modification, the assessment was embodied with cognitive assessment function. Therefore, the domestic and international data were compared and analyzed according to the mastery status of the attributes. The study found that students in Mainland China showed an overall advantage in mastering the attributes of basic mathematical knowledge, but at the same time were found to be lacking in the attributes of measurement and transformation, and data and statistics. It provided an in-depth analysis of students' basic mathematical knowledge in terms of fine-grained knowledge, and provided a reference for further understanding of mainland Chinese students' learning characteristics and international comparisons.</p>