NAEP Achievement Levels

The Nation’s Report Card displays results for student academic achievement in two ways: achievement levels and scale scores.

The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) achievement levels describe what students should know and be able to do in different subjects.

For each assessment, the National Assessment Governing Board sets achievement levels and describes the knowledge and skills necessary for each achievement level in the assessment’s framework.

Each achievement level is set to a NAEP scale score, known as a "cut point." The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) reports the percentages of students scoring at or above the achievement level cut points to indicate the proportion of students who demonstrate the skills and knowledge for each level.

This page provides descriptions for each achievement level by assessment subject and grade as well as their cut points.

Note: NAEP Proficient does not signify meeting grade level expectations, which are set through state assessments.