On Minnesota's MCA tests, High School Science is reported on a scale from 1001 to 1099 (2025 and 2026), and each score falls into one of 4 performance levels. Reaching Meets, at 1050 or above, is the state's proficiency line.
The score ranges changed during these years, so each period has its own table below, newest first.
From 2025, High School Science has new cut scores and new level names.
| Level | Score range | What it means | Statewide 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beginning | 1001–1039 | The lowest level, well below the state standard | 43% |
| Intermediate | 1040–1049 | Approaching the state standard | 22% |
| Meets | 1050–1066 | Meeting the state standard (the proficiency line) | 27% |
| Advanced | 1067–1099 | The highest level, above the state standard | 8% |
| Level | Score range | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Does Not Meet | 1001–1039 | The lowest level, well below the state standard |
| Partially Meets | 1040–1049 | Approaching the state standard |
| Meets | 1050–1062 | Meeting the state standard (the proficiency line) |
| Exceeds | 1063–1099 | The highest level, above the state standard |
Statewide in 2026, about 35% of the students counted for High School Science reached Meets or Advanced. The bar above shows the share at each level (left = lowest).
Reading: the grade 10 Reading MCA, taken by 10th graders. Math: the grade 11 Math MCA, taken by 11th graders. Science: the high school Science MCA, which students take once, in the school year they take life science or biology (any grade from 9 to 12); each year counts every high-school student who took it that year, whatever their grade. From 2019 the level counts also include the students who took Minnesota's alternate test (1 to 2 of every 100 testers), while the average score covers the MCA only.
More on who is counted, and how: see how we count.
A score's meaning depends on where it lands in the ranges above, and on how it compares to other students who took the same test. Our free tool turns a High School Science score into an estimated percentile versus the school, district, county and the whole state, so you can see where a score stands, not just its level.
Look up a High School Science percentile →