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Michigan Grade 8 ELA: what your child's PSAT 8/9 score means

On Michigan's PSAT 8/9, Grade 8 English Language Arts (ELA) is reported on a scale from 120 to 720, and each score falls into one of 4 performance levels. Reaching Proficient (at 390 or above) is the state's grade-level, on-track benchmark.

Score ranges by performance level

LevelScore rangeWhat it means
Not Proficient120–359The lowest level, well below grade-level expectations
Partially Proficient360–389Approaching grade-level expectations
Proficient390–439Meeting grade-level expectations (the state proficiency line)
Advanced440–720The highest level, above grade-level expectations

How Michigan students scored (2025)

20%15%26%39%

Statewide in 2025, about 65% of Grade 8 students reached Proficient or Advanced in ELA. The bar above shows the share at each level (left = lowest).

Is a particular score good?

A score's meaning depends on where it lands in the ranges above, and on how it compares to other students. Our free tool turns a score into an estimated percentile versus the child's school, district and the whole state, so you can see exactly where a score stands, not just its level.

Look up your child's exact percentile →

Other grades & subjects

Grade 8, other subjects:

ELA, other grades:

State Test Scores is an independent tool, not affiliated with or endorsed by any state education department or agency. Percentiles are statistical estimates from public performance-level data (Michigan Department of Education (M-STEP / PSAT 8/9)), not official rankings.
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