South Carolina · SC READY score reports
SC READY Scores Explained:
New Score Ranges by Grade
Last reviewed against South Carolina Department of Education sources
Quick answer
What is a good SC READY score?
Meets Expectations or Exceeds Expectations, the state targets for every student. On the 2026 scales, Meets starts at 454 (grade 3) to 594 (grade 8) in ELA and at 273 (grade 3) to 297 (grades 7 and 8) in math. In 2026, 61.3% of South Carolina students in grades 3-8 scored Meets or Exceeds in ELA and 47.9% in math.
Source: SCDE: SC READY Score Report User's Guide, spring 2026 (PDF) · Updated
Next step
SC READY ELA and math practice, grades 3 to 8
Practice tests built to SC READY, with every answer explained, plus science for grades 4 and 6. Start practicing with an account.
Start SC READY practice →What does my child's score mean?
Type the 3-digit scale score from your child's SC READY Individual Student Report. For Grade 3 ELA, Meets Expectations starts at 454 and Exceeds at 541.
Source: SCDE: SC READY Score Report User's Guide, spring 2026
SC READY score ranges by grade (2026)
These are scale scores. The highlighted Meets column is the state target. Every test starts at 100, and the last number in the Exceeds range is the top of the scale on the report.
| Grade | Does Not Meet | Approaches | Meets | Exceeds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 3 | 100-359 | 360-453 | 454-540 | 541-825 |
| Grade 4 | 100-419 | 420-490 | 491-602 | 603-850 |
| Grade 5 | 100-464 | 465-524 | 525-631 | 632-875 |
| Grade 6 | 100-470 | 471-550 | 551-645 | 646-900 |
| Grade 7 | 100-509 | 510-567 | 568-663 | 664-925 |
| Grade 8 | 100-526 | 527-593 | 594-686 | 687-950 |
| Grade | Does Not Meet | Approaches | Meets | Exceeds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 3 | 100-241 | 242-272 | 273-317 | 318-400 |
| Grade 4 | 100-255 | 256-291 | 292-324 | 325-410 |
| Grade 5 | 100-256 | 257-292 | 293-324 | 325-420 |
| Grade 6 | 100-264 | 265-292 | 293-328 | 329-430 |
| Grade 7 | 100-265 | 266-296 | 297-332 | 333-440 |
| Grade 8 | 100-272 | 273-296 | 297-333 | 334-450 |
| Grade | Does Not Meet | Approaches | Meets | Exceeds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 4 | 100-447 | 448-505 | 506-585 | 586-850 |
| Grade 6 | 100-460 | 461-523 | 524-606 | 607-900 |
ELA and math use a vertical scale: the same number shows the same achievement in any grade, but each grade has its own cuts. SCDE's example: a math score of 280 is Meets in grade 3 but Approaches in grades 5 and 7. Science is not on a vertical scale.
Source: SCDE: SC READY Score Report User's Guide, spring 2026, pages 4-5
The four performance levels
Exceeds Expectations
Is well prepared for the next grade level and for college and career readiness.
Meets Expectations
Is prepared for the next grade level and is on track for college and career readiness.
Approaches Expectations
Needs additional academic support to be prepared for the next grade level and to be on track for college and career readiness.
Does Not Meet Expectations
Needs substantial academic support to be prepared for the next grade level and to be on track for college and career readiness.
The report calls Meets Expectations and Exceeds Expectations the state targets for all students.
Source: SCDE: SC READY Score Report User's Guide (Overall Performance Levels)
How to read the Individual Student Report
Score, level and likely range
Page 1 shows the scale score on a number line with the four levels, plus the range your child would likely score in if tested again. ELA also shows separate Reading and Writing levels.
Lexile and Quantile
The ELA report gives a Lexile range to help you choose books at the right level. The math report gives a Quantile range.
Low, Middle or High by category
Page 2 rates each reporting category (for example Reading Informational Text or Numerical Reasoning) as Low, Middle or High. Focus first on any category rated Low.
Two percentile ranks
Your child's rank against South Carolina students this year, and against students in other states with comparable standards. A 62 means as well as or better than 62% of the group.
Score history
Shows earlier SC READY scores. Scores from before the new scales are left out, because they cannot be compared directly.
Source: SCDE: SC READY Score Report User's Guide (Individual Student Report)
How South Carolina students scored in 2026
| Subject | 2024 | 2025 | 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|
| ELA | 53.5% | 59.6% | 61.3% |
| Math | 42.3% | 43.9% | 47.9% |
SCDE called 2026 the highest Meets and Exceeds rates in SC READY history. In ELA, 64.2% of third graders, 65.5% of fourth graders and 63.5% of fifth graders scored at or above grade level. Math rose 4 percentage points, and SCDE reported an 11.8% gain in the number of eighth graders scoring at or above expectations.
Third grade: Read to Succeed retention
Under South Carolina's Read to Succeed law (S.C. Code 59-155-160), since 2024-25 a third grader who scores at the lowest level on the state reading assessment must be retained, unless a good-cause exemption applies. For SC READY, that result comes only from the grade 3 reading items, which had their own standard setting in June 2025, and is reported as Below the Approaches cut. It can differ from the overall ELA level.
The law lists five good-cause exemptions: limited English proficiency with less than two years of ESL instruction; some students with disabilities based on their IEP or 504 plan; reaching Approaches Expectations on the state reading assessment after summer reading camp; scoring the equivalent of Approaches on a board-approved norm-referenced test used in summer reading camp; and two years of reading intervention with a previous retention.
If a third grader is not reading proficiently by the end of the second grading period, parents must get written notice and a conference. A parent can appeal a retention in writing to the district superintendent within two weeks of the notice. A retained student gets at least 90 minutes of daily reading instruction.
Source: SCDE: Third Grade Retention and Guidance Document (revised October 2025) Grade 3 reading items: SCDE SC READY Score Report User's Guide.
When scores reach families
The Individual Student Report comes from your child's school. If you have not received one, ask your school.
Source: SCDE memo: Assessment and Report Card Release 2026 (July 21, 2026)
Getting ready for next spring
Start with any reporting category rated Low, then any subject below Meets Expectations. More on the test itself, with sample questions by grade: SC READY prep for grades 3-8.
Questions parents ask
What is a passing score on SC READY?
SC READY reports four performance levels, not pass or fail. Meets Expectations and Exceeds Expectations are the state targets for every student. The Meets cut score changes by grade: in ELA it runs from 454 in grade 3 to 594 in grade 8, and in math from 273 in grade 3 to 297 in grades 7 and 8.
Why did SC READY scores change?
SC READY ELA moved to a new vertical scale in 2025 and math in 2026. On a vertical scale the same number means the same achievement in any grade, but each grade has its own cut scores. Older scores are not on the same scale, so the score history on the report leaves them out.
Can the same score be Meets in one grade and Approaches in another?
Yes. SCDE's example: a math score of 280 is Meets Expectations in grade 3 but Approaches Expectations in grades 5 and 7, because each grade has its own cut scores.
What is the highest SC READY score?
Every test's range starts at 100. The top of the range is 825 in grade 3 ELA, rising by 25 each grade to 950 in grade 8. In math it rises from 400 in grade 3 to 450 in grade 8, and in science it is 850 in grade 4 and 900 in grade 6. SCDE notes the top score is often not reachable in practice.
Will my third grader be held back because of SC READY?
Under South Carolina's Read to Succeed law (S.C. Code 59-155-160), since 2024-25 a third grader who scores at the lowest level on the state reading assessment must be retained unless a good-cause exemption applies. For SC READY, that is a separate result from the grade 3 reading items, reported as Below the Approaches cut, and it can differ from the overall ELA level.
What are the Read to Succeed good-cause exemptions?
The law lists five: limited English proficiency with less than two years of ESL instruction; some students with disabilities based on their IEP or 504 plan; students who reach Approaches Expectations on the state reading assessment after summer reading camp; students who score the equivalent of Approaches on a board-approved norm-referenced test used in summer reading camp; and students who have had two years of reading intervention and were retained before.
Can I appeal a third grade retention?
Yes. A parent or guardian can appeal to the district superintendent in writing within two weeks of the retention notice, stating why the child should not be retained. The superintendent must answer in writing.
What do the percentile ranks on the report mean?
A percentile rank of 62 means your child scored as well as or better than 62% of the comparison group. The report gives two ranks for ELA and math: one against South Carolina students who tested this year, and one against students in other states with comparable standards.
What are the Lexile and Quantile ranges?
The ELA report gives a Lexile range, an estimate of your child's reading ability that helps you choose books. The math report gives a Quantile range for math skills.
How did South Carolina students do on SC READY in 2026?
In grades 3-8, 61.3% of students scored Meets or Exceeds in ELA (up from 59.6% in 2025) and 47.9% in math (up from 43.9%). SCDE called both the highest in SC READY history.
When do SC READY scores come out?
In 2026, districts received results on August 3 and schools could give families score reports as soon as they arrived. SCDE released the statewide results on August 10, 2026. Ask your school for your child's Individual Student Report.
Score reports in other states
Moved states, or comparing? Each guide shows that state's cut scores and levels from its own education department.
Sources
Every number on this page comes from these South Carolina Department of Education documents. Last reviewed .
- SCDE — SC READY Score Report User's Guide, for use with spring 2026 score reports (PDF)
- SCDE — news release, August 10, 2026: South Carolina Students Reach New Heights in Academic Achievement
- SCDE — Third Grade Retention and Guidance Document (August 2024, revised October 2025)
- SCDE — memo: Assessment and Report Card Release 2026 (July 21, 2026)