On North Carolina's end-of-course (EOC) tests, Biology is reported on a scale from 321 to 386 (2025 and 2026), and each score falls into one of 4 performance levels. Reaching Level 3 (Proficient), at 351 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, Biology has a new score scale (321 to 386), so a score from before 2025 is not directly comparable to one from 2025 on. Percentiles are, because each year is compared with its own students.
| Level | Score range | What it means | Statewide 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Not Proficient | 321–350 | Below the state standard | 42% |
| Level 3 (Proficient) | 351–354 | Meeting the state standard (the proficiency line) | 18% |
| Level 4 | 355–360 | Above the state standard | 23% |
| Level 5 | 361–386 | The highest level, above the state standard | 18% |
| Level | Score range | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Not Proficient | 220–249 | Below the state standard |
| Level 3 (Proficient) | 250–251 | Meeting the state standard (the proficiency line) |
| Level 4 | 252–260 | Above the state standard |
| Level 5 | 261–286 | The highest level, above the state standard |
Statewide in 2026, about 58% of the students counted for Biology reached Level 3 (Proficient) or higher. The bar above shows the share at each level (left = lowest).
Each test counts the students at a school who took that end-of-course test during the school year, including the summer school session just before it. NC Math 1 and NC Math 3 count high school students only: students who take NC Math 1 in grade 8 or earlier are counted in grade 8 math in the grades 3-8 section, not here. The one exception is 2018, when the NC Math 1 counts also include the NC Math 1 scores that 9th graders had earned in middle school. Students who take the NCEXTEND1 alternate test are not included.
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 Biology score into an estimated percentile versus the school, district and the whole state, so you can see where a score stands, not just its level.
Look up a Biology percentile →