How are Khan Academy assessments scored?

For Beta and Live assessments, student performance is reported as both a score and a performance level. Students receive an Overall Score and subscores for each “Reporting Category”.  Khan Academy Interim Assessments use three performance levels to classify student performance:

• Beginning (Lowest): Students have some foundational skills but are performing below grade-level expectations. They demonstrate limited understanding of grade-level standards and require considerable instructional support to build toward proficiency.
• Approaching (Middle): Students have a good grasp on some grade-level standards, but have not yet achieved consistent performance across all expectations. They are approaching grade-level proficiency and need targeted support to address remaining gaps.
• Demonstrating (Highest): Students demonstrate proficiency across the full range of grade-level standards. They consistently meet or exceed expectations and can independently apply their knowledge and skills in various contexts.

How scores work

Scores are calculated using Item Response Theory (IRT), a statistical scoring approach that accounts for the difficulty of each question a student answers, rather than just counting correct answers. This is part of why the assessments can adapt to each student while still producing scores that are comparable across different students and test forms.

Scores for assessments within each subject (math and ELA) are placed on the same continuous scale (about 300–900), though most scores for each assessment will fall within a more narrow range. Each assessment also has two cut scores — marking where the Approaching and Demonstrating levels begin — set by groups of subject matter experts (e.g., teachers, curriculum specialists, administrators) in each subject through a process called Standard Setting.

A note on Explain Your Thinking and short response questions

We're currently evaluating the use of AI to help score Explain Your Thinking conversations and short response questions. AI is not currently used for scoring. EYT Conversations and Short Responses are not yet factored into a student's reported score.

Score ranges and cut scores by assessment

All scores are on a scale of 300 to 900, though the lowest and highest scores presented in the reports and in the table below represent the reference range for each assessment —  the range in which the vast majority of scores on the assessment will be. For instance, the reference range for Grade 6 Math is 400 to 800, though it is possible that a student may score below 400 or above 800 on this assessment. For simplicity and ease of interpretation, tables and visualizations in reports may use the assessment’s reference range, but keep in mind that it is possible (and expected) for some scores to fall outside these bounds. 

To see how these scores show up in your reports, visit

 How can teachers use interim assessment performance reports? or How can administrators use interim assessment performance reports?