U.S. TIMSS International Benchmarks 2023
TIMSS reports the percentage of students reaching four achievement thresholds: Advanced (625), High (550), Intermediate (475), and Low (400). U.S. benchmark percentages are cumulative, so a student counted at the Advanced level is also included in the percentages reported at or above High, Intermediate, and Low.
U.S. TIMSS Score Context
Average scale scores provide context for the benchmark distributions. The United States scored above the corresponding TIMSS 2023 international average in all four grade-subject assessments.
Percentage of U.S. Students Reaching Each TIMSS Benchmark
Percent at or above each benchmark, by grade and subject, 2023
The values are cumulative benchmark percentages rather than mutually exclusive achievement groups. For example, the 13 percent of U.S. fourth-graders at or above Advanced mathematics is included within the 39 percent at or above High.
Science and Mathematics Show Different Benchmark Profiles
- Grade 4 science had the highest U.S. Advanced benchmark share among the four assessments at 15 percent.
- Grade 8 mathematics had the lowest Advanced and Intermediate benchmark shares, at 8 percent and 55 percent.
- At the Low benchmark, the U.S. percentages ranged from 82 percent in Grade 8 mathematics to 91 percent in Grade 4 science.
U.S. TIMSS 2023 Benchmark Percentages
Each percentage represents students scoring at or above the stated TIMSS scale threshold. International median comparisons follow the NCES reporting of the corresponding benchmark results.
| Grade | Subject | Advanced 625 | High 550 | Intermediate 475 | Low 400 | Vs. International Median |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | Mathematics | 13% | 39% | 68% | 87% | Higher at Advanced and High; lower at Intermediate and Low |
| 8 | Mathematics | 8% | 26% | 55% | 82% | No measurable difference at any of the four benchmarks |
| 4 | Science | 15% | 46% | 75% | 91% | Higher at Advanced, High, and Intermediate; no measurable difference at Low |
| 8 | Science | 12% | 37% | 66% | 87% | Higher at all four benchmarks |
What the Four TIMSS Benchmarks Represent
The same scale points define the four international benchmarks in TIMSS mathematics and science. Benchmark descriptions of demonstrated knowledge differ by grade and subject.
Advanced
Students counted at this benchmark have a TIMSS scale score of 625 or higher.
High
The reported percentage includes every student with a score of 550 or higher, including students reaching Advanced.
Intermediate
The reported percentage includes students scoring 475 or higher across the Intermediate, High, and Advanced ranges.
Low
Students reaching at least 400 are counted at or above the Low benchmark. Students below 400 are reported as Below Low.
Benchmark Movement From 2019 to 2023
Percentage-point changes are calculated from the published U.S. benchmark percentages. They describe movement in the reported shares and do not by themselves establish whether a change differs measurably after accounting for sampling error.
| Grade | Subject | Benchmark | 2019 | 2023 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | Mathematics | Advanced | 14% | 13% | −1 pp |
| 4 | Mathematics | High | 46% | 39% | −7 pp |
| 4 | Mathematics | Intermediate | 77% | 68% | −9 pp |
| 4 | Mathematics | Low | 93% | 87% | −6 pp |
| 8 | Mathematics | Advanced | 14% | 8% | −6 pp |
| 8 | Mathematics | High | 38% | 26% | −12 pp |
| 8 | Mathematics | Intermediate | 66% | 55% | −11 pp |
| 8 | Mathematics | Low | 87% | 82% | −5 pp |
| 4 | Science | Advanced | 15% | 15% | 0 pp |
| 4 | Science | High | 48% | 46% | −2 pp |
| 4 | Science | Intermediate | 79% | 75% | −4 pp |
| 4 | Science | Low | 94% | 91% | −3 pp |
| 8 | Science | Advanced | 15% | 12% | −3 pp |
| 8 | Science | High | 43% | 37% | −6 pp |
| 8 | Science | Intermediate | 70% | 66% | −4 pp |
| 8 | Science | Low | 88% | 87% | −1 pp |
Mathematics Had the Larger 2019–2023 Benchmark Shifts
- Grade 8 mathematics recorded the largest arithmetic declines: 12 percentage points at High and 11 points at Intermediate.
- Grade 4 mathematics fell 9 points at Intermediate and 6 points at Low.
- Science benchmark changes were smaller across the same period; NCES also reported that the 2023 U.S. average science scores were not measurably different from 2019 at either grade.
Data Sources and Measurement
National Center for Education Statistics, TIMSS 2023 U.S. Results, based on the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement TIMSS 2023 assessment.
NCES 2024-184, TIMSS 2023 U.S. Highlights Web Report, released in December 2024.
2023. TIMSS is administered on a four-year cycle to fourth- and eighth-grade students.
Benchmark results are percentages of students scoring at or above a scale threshold. Average achievement results use the TIMSS 0–1,000 scale.
Advanced: 625; High: 550; Intermediate: 475; Low: 400.
United States Grade 4 and Grade 8 mathematics and science results. The NCES report includes 63 education systems at Grade 4 and 45 at Grade 8.
For benchmark comparisons, the TIMSS international median is based on participating non-benchmarking education systems, with each education system weighted equally.
The international averages shown with the mean score cards are separate from benchmark medians and are calculated across non-benchmarking education systems with equal system weights.
Benchmark percentages are displayed as whole numbers. NCES notes that reported comparisons use the underlying unrounded estimates.
The U.S. Grade 4 sample met the international Category 2 participation requirement after replacement schools were included. The Grade 8 sample met Category 3; the U.S. results remain included in the TIMSS international report tables and international average.
Benchmark percentages are cumulative. They should not be added together and should not be interpreted as four mutually exclusive groups. A student reaching Advanced also meets the High, Intermediate, and Low thresholds. The 2019–2023 change column is a direct percentage-point difference between published rounded percentages; inferential comparisons should follow the NCES testing reported for the underlying estimates.
Official sources: NCES TIMSS 2023 U.S. Results · NCES TIMSS 2023 Methodology and Technical Notes · NCES TIMSS 2023 U.S. Highlights Web Report