2025 NAEP Long-Term Trend Reading & Math Results: Ages 9 and 13
The 2025 NAEP long-term trend results show two different national paths. Average reading and mathematics scores for 9-year-olds rose from the 2022 assessment, while average scores for 13-year-olds did not differ from 2023 under NAEP's statistical testing.
Age-9 reading did not differ from its 2020 average under NAEP's testing, but age-9 mathematics remained 4 points below 2020. Both age-13 subjects remained below their 2020 averages.
2025 National Score Snapshot
Displayed scores are rounded. NAEP's reported changes use unrounded estimates and statistical comparison tests.
Recent Score Movement Separates Ages 9 and 13
Rounded national average scale scores for 2020, the most recent pre-2025 age-specific assessment, and 2025.
The middle comparison is 2022 for age 9 and 2023 for age 13. Reading and mathematics scales are independently derived, so each subject should be interpreted within its own trend.
Age 9 recovered ground while age 13 did not move under testing
- NAEP reports a 4-point increase from 2022 to 2025 in both age-9 subjects.
- Age-13 reading and mathematics showed no tested change from 2023 to 2025.
- Only age-9 reading reached statistical parity with its 2020 average; the other three age-subject results remained below 2020.
Full National Long-Term Trend Score Table
National average scale scores for every long-term trend assessment point shown in the 2025 report for ages 9 and 13. “Not assessed” indicates that the age-subject combination was not administered in that year.
| Year | Format | Age 9 Reading | Age 13 Reading | Age 9 Math | Age 13 Math |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1971 | Original | 208 | 255 | Not assessed | Not assessed |
| 1973 | Original / extrapolated math average | Not assessed | Not assessed | 219† | 266† |
| 1975 | Original | 210 | 256 | Not assessed | Not assessed |
| 1978 | Original | Not assessed | Not assessed | 219 | 264 |
| 1980 | Original | 215 | 258 | Not assessed | Not assessed |
| 1982 | Original | Not assessed | Not assessed | 219 | 269 |
| 1984 | Original | 211 | 257 | Not assessed | Not assessed |
| 1986 | Original | Not assessed | Not assessed | 222 | 269 |
| 1988 | Original | 212 | 257 | Not assessed | Not assessed |
| 1990 | Original | 209 | 257 | 230 | 270 |
| 1992 | Original | 211 | 260 | 230 | 273 |
| 1994 | Original | 211 | 258 | 231 | 274 |
| 1996 | Original | 212 | 258 | 231 | 274 |
| 1999 | Original | 212 | 259 | 232 | 276 |
| 2004 | Original bridge | 219 | 259 | 241 | 281 |
| 2004 | Revised | 216 | 257 | 239 | 279 |
| 2008 | Revised | 220 | 260 | 243 | 281 |
| 2012 | Revised | 221 | 263 | 244 | 285 |
| 2020 | Revised | 220 | 260 | 241 | 280 |
| 2022 | Revised | 215 | Not assessed | 234 | Not assessed |
| 2023 | Revised | Not assessed | 256 | Not assessed | 271 |
| 2025 | Revised | 218 | 256 | 238 | 270 |
† The 1973 mathematics national averages are extrapolated estimates. NAEP advises caution when comparing them with later mathematics results.
The long-run high points occurred before the recent decline
- Among the rounded averages shown, 2012 is the highest point for all four age-subject series: 221 and 263 in reading, and 244 and 285 in mathematics.
- The two 2004 rows are a bridge between the original and revised assessment formats, not two separate testing years.
Where the 2025 Movement Appeared
Average scores alone do not show which parts of the performance distribution changed. NAEP also reports the 10th, 25th, 50th, 75th, and 90th percentiles.
| Age | Subject | Prior Year | Average | 10th | 25th | 50th | 75th | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 | Reading | 2022 | Gain | Gain | Gain | No tested difference | No tested difference | No tested difference |
| 9 | Mathematics | 2022 | Gain | Gain | Gain | Gain | No tested difference | No tested difference |
| 13 | Reading | 2023 | No tested difference | No tested difference | No tested difference | No tested difference | No tested difference | No tested difference |
| 13 | Mathematics | 2023 | No tested difference | No tested difference | No tested difference | No tested difference | No tested difference | No tested difference |
The age-9 rebound was concentrated lower in the distribution
- Age-9 reading gains reached the 10th and 25th percentiles, while the 50th, 75th, and 90th percentiles showed no tested difference from 2022.
- Age-9 mathematics gains extended through the 50th percentile; the 75th and 90th percentiles showed no tested difference.
- At age 13, neither subject showed a tested change at any of the five selected percentiles compared with 2023.
Reading Trend Since 1971
Rounded national average reading scores by age. The 2004 bridge includes both original-format and revised-format estimates.
The two age series should be read as separate within-age trends. The chart does not treat the vertical distance between ages 9 and 13 as a score gap measure.
Reading recovered differently by age
- Age-9 reading rose from its 2022 dip and did not differ from 2020 under NAEP's statistical testing.
- Age-13 reading remained below 2020, and the 2025 national average did not differ from the 1971 average under NAEP's testing.
Mathematics Trend Since the 1970s
Rounded national average mathematics scores by age. The 1973 points are extrapolated national averages.
Percentile and student-group mathematics trends begin in 1978 because the 1973 result is available only as an extrapolated national average.
Mathematics remains below 2020 for both ages
- Age-9 mathematics gained from 2022 to 2025 but remained 4 points below 2020 in the official comparison.
- Age-13 mathematics showed no tested change from 2023 and remained below its 2020 and 2012 averages.
Student Experience Context in the 2025 Surveys
NAEP questionnaire responses provide context around the assessment. These associations do not establish a cause for score changes.
Age 9 reading attendance
48% of 9-year-olds in the reading assessment reported missing no school days in the prior month, up from 44% in 2022. The comparable share was 58% in 2004.
Reading for fun
The share reporting reading for fun almost every day in 2025 was 16 percentage points lower for age 9 and 21 points lower for age 13 than in 1984.
Age 9 mathematics homework
39% reported that no homework had been assigned the previous day in 2025, compared with 24% in 2004. NAEP found no tested difference between 2022 and 2025 for this response.
Long-Term Trend NAEP and Main NAEP Measure Different Series
The 2025 age-based results should not be substituted for grade 4 or grade 8 Main NAEP scores.
| Feature | Long-Term Trend NAEP | Main NAEP |
|---|---|---|
| Sampling basis | Age-based samples | Grade-based samples |
| Reading series origin | 1971 | 1992 |
| Mathematics series origin | 1973 | 1990 |
| Content approach | Kept relatively stable to preserve a long trend | Updated periodically to reflect current curricula and standards |
| 2025 LTT geography | Nation only | National, state, and selected district reporting varies by assessment |
| Performance reporting | LTT levels 150, 200, 250, 300, and 350 | Basic, Proficient, and Advanced achievement levels |
| Direct score comparison | Not supported against Main NAEP scores | Not supported against LTT scores |
Age 9 is not the same reporting unit as grade 4
- LTT samples students by age, while Main NAEP samples by grade.
- The two programs use different instruments and methods, so their reading and mathematics score series are not directly interchangeable.
What the 2025 Pattern Shows
The clearest interpretation comes from combining the latest averages, the percentile distribution, and the pre-pandemic comparison.
Age 9 reading is closest to its 2020 position
The 2025 average and all five selected reading percentiles for 9-year-olds did not differ from 2020 under NAEP's statistical tests.
Age 9 mathematics recovered only part of the loss
The average rose from 2022, but the 2025 result remained below 2020. At the percentile level, all selected points except the 90th remained below 2020.
Age 13 did not show a measurable rebound
Reading and mathematics averages and all five selected percentiles showed no tested change from 2023. Both subject averages remained below 2020.
Lower performers account for much of the age-9 movement
The 10th and 25th percentiles gained in both subjects. Reading did not show a tested change at the median, while mathematics did.
Data Sources and Measurement
National Center for Education Statistics, National Assessment of Educational Progress, 2025 Long-Term Trend Reading and Mathematics Assessments.
The historical averages and 2025 score series use the official technical and results appendix.
Selected percentile results cover the 10th, 25th, 50th, 75th, and 90th percentiles.
Age 9 testing occurred January–March and age 13 testing October–December in the 2024–25 school year. Public and private school students are represented nationally.
Reading: about 7,400 age-9 students in 400 schools and 8,200 age-13 students in 440 schools. Mathematics: about 7,600 age-9 students in 410 schools and 8,200 age-13 students in 440 schools. No student took both subjects.
NCES guidance covers age-based sampling, scale interpretation, uncertainty, and the separation between LTT and Main NAEP.
Reading and mathematics are each reported on a 0–500 LTT scale, but the two scales are independently derived. Scores in the table are rounded to whole points. NAEP uses unrounded estimates for reported point changes and statistical comparison tests, so subtraction of displayed rounded values can differ from the official reported change. Results are estimates from nationally representative samples and carry sampling uncertainty. The 2025 LTT is national only and does not provide state or district scores.
Do not compare a reading score directly with a mathematics score as if the numerical difference measured subject strength. Do not substitute age-9 or age-13 LTT results for grade 4 or grade 8 Main NAEP results. The 1973 mathematics averages are extrapolated national estimates, and percentile or student-group mathematics trends begin in 1978. The 2004 Bridge Study links the original and revised LTT formats; both 2004 estimates are retained in the historical table for that reason.