On Tennessee's TCAP end-of-course tests, Biology is reported on a scale from 200 to 450 (2026), and each score falls into one of 4 performance levels. Reaching Met Expectations, at 330 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 2026, Biology has new cut scores.
| Level | Score range | What it means | Statewide 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below | 200–299 | The lowest level, well below the state standard | 14% |
| Approaching | 300–329 | Approaching the state standard | 36% |
| Met Expectations | 330–366 | Meeting the state standard (the proficiency line) | 40% |
| Exceeded Expectations | 367–450 | The highest level, above the state standard | 10% |
In 2022, Tennessee renamed the levels; the score ranges did not change.
| Level | Score range | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Below | 200–299 | The lowest level, well below the state standard |
| Approaching | 300–329 | Approaching the state standard |
| Met Expectations | 330–374 | Meeting the state standard (the proficiency line) |
| Exceeded Expectations | 375–450 | The highest level, above the state standard |
From 2021, Biology has a new score scale (200 to 450) and new level names, so a score from before 2021 is not directly comparable to one from 2021 on. Percentiles are, because each year is compared with its own students.
| Level | Score range | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Below | 200–299 | The lowest level, well below the state standard |
| Approaching | 300–329 | Approaching the state standard |
| On Track | 330–374 | Meeting the state standard (the proficiency line) |
| Mastered | 375–450 | The highest level, above the state standard |
| Level | Score range | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Below Basic | 500–673 | The lowest level, well below the state standard |
| Basic | 674–704 | Approaching the state standard |
| Proficient | 705–741 | Meeting the state standard (the proficiency line) |
| Advanced | 742–900 | The highest level, above the state standard |
Statewide in 2026, about 50% of the students counted for Biology reached Met Expectations or Exceeded Expectations. The bar above shows the share at each level (left = lowest).
Each course test is taken by the students in that course that year, so each test has its own group. Middle-school students who take a high-school course early, mostly Algebra I, take its end-of-course test and are counted here at their middle school (11% of Algebra I testers in 2026). Tennessee hides the level split of many schools with a very small or very large share in one level; for those schools the split between the two lower and the two upper levels is estimated (see the methodology page). Schools with fewer than 10 testers are not shown.
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 →