What is a passing score on the SOL test?

SOL scores are reported on a 0–600 scale. A scaled score of 400 or above has historically meant Pass/Proficient, and 500 or above means Pass/Advanced. The Virginia Department of Education is phasing in higher cut scores for reading and math starting in the 2026–27 school year — check with your school for the exact current-year cut score in your child's subject and grade.

What does 'Pass/Advanced' mean on an SOL score report?

Pass/Advanced is the highest SOL performance level, indicating a student scored well above the minimum proficiency threshold — historically a scaled score of 500 or higher out of 600.

Is a 400 still a passing SOL score?

It depends on the school year and subject. Historically 400 was the proficient/passing threshold. Virginia is raising the bar for reading and math starting 2026–27, with an 'approaching' level bridging the transition — the Class of 2026 is exempted from the new thresholds. Confirm the current cut score with your school division or the Virginia Department of Education.

How Virginia SOL Scores Are Reported: Pass, Proficient, and Advanced Explained

SOL score reports use a scale that's unfamiliar to most parents until their child brings one home. Here's what the numbers actually mean.

The 0–600 scaled score

Every SOL test score is converted onto a common 0–600 scale, regardless of how many raw questions a student got right. That scaled score is what determines the performance level on the report:

Fail — historically, a scaled score below 400.
Pass / Proficient — historically, a scaled score of 400–499.
Pass / Advanced — a scaled score of 500 or higher.

Reading and math results in grades 3–8 sometimes report additional detail (such as a "basic" tier below proficient) to give a more granular picture of where a student landed.

Cut scores are changing starting 2026–27

The Virginia Department of Education has been raising the academic bar for reading and math proficiency, phased in starting with the 2026–27 school year, with an "approaching" performance level acting as a bridge while schools and students adjust. Exact cut scores vary by subject and grade and are set by VDOE — your child's official score report and your school's testing coordinator are the most reliable source for the specific number that applied to their test.

What to actually do with a score report

A single scaled score is useful, but it doesn't tell you which standards your child struggled with — only the overall result. The more actionable view is a standard-by-standard breakdown: which specific skills, within which strand, need more work. That's the level SOL Prep is built around, rather than a single pass/fail number.