MAP Test Kindergarten Scores: What RIT and Percentiles Mean

Updated November 2026.

MAP Growth is a short computer test from the nonprofit NWEA that many schools use to check reading and math progress, often in fall, winter and spring. In kindergarten, children wear headphones while the questions are read aloud, and they answer by clicking or dragging. Your child gets a RIT score for each subject and a percentile that compares them with children in the same grade nationally.

The most useful number is usually growth: how much your child's score rises between tests. Here is how to read the report.

How the test works for kindergarteners

• It is adaptive. If your child answers correctly, the next question gets harder. If not, it gets easier.
• It is untimed, though most young children finish in 20 to 40 minutes per subject.
• Questions are read aloud, so children do not need to read to take the math test.
• The kindergarten version covers early reading skills, such as letters, sounds and listening, and early math, such as counting, comparing and shapes.

For a five-year-old, using a mouse or touchscreen and staying focused are part of the challenge. Early scores can bounce around for reasons that have nothing to do with what your child knows.

What the scores mean

RIT score

RIT is a scale that works like a growth chart for learning. It stays the same across grades, so the same number means the same level of skill in kindergarten or third grade. Kindergarten scores are lower on the scale and rise quickly during the year.

Percentile

A percentile compares your child with a national sample of children in the same grade at the same time of year. The 50th percentile is the middle. The 70th percentile means your child scored as well as or better than about 70% of students in that group.

Growth

Reports often show a projected growth target from fall to spring. Young children usually grow a lot in one year, so a big jump in RIT between fall and spring is normal and expected.

The 2025 norms change

NWEA updates its national comparison data every few years. In fall 2025, schools switched to the 2025 MAP Growth norms. The RIT scale itself did not change, but percentiles did. The same RIT score can now show a different percentile than it would have under the older norms. If you compare reports from different years, keep this in mind.

How to read your child's report

1. Look at growth first. Did the score go up between fall and winter, or winter and spring?
2. Look at the range. Reports often show a small range around the score, because any single test has some error.
3. Look at skill areas. Many reports break reading and math into strands, such as phonics or geometry.
4. Compare with what the teacher sees. One test day is a snapshot. The teacher sees your child every day.

Questions to ask the teacher

• How does this score match what you see in class?
• Which skills should we practice at home?
• Was my child focused and comfortable during the test?
• How will you use these results in teaching?

See our list of parent-teacher conference questions.

Should I prepare my child for MAP?

There is nothing to study. Helpful things are a good night's sleep, breakfast and a calm morning. Everyday reading, counting games and talking about numbers build the same skills the test measures. See what kids learn in kindergarten.

Frequently asked questions

What is a good MAP score for kindergarten?

A percentile near 50 means your child is in the national middle for that time of year. Steady growth between tests is the best sign.

How often do kindergarteners take MAP?

Many schools test two or three times a year.

Is MAP required in Illinois?

No. MAP is a tool that some schools choose. Illinois public kindergartens use the KIDS observation tool. See our KIDS assessment guide.

Why did my child's percentile drop when their score went up?

Other children grew too, and the comparison point moves through the year. Look at RIT growth as well as the percentile.

MAP testing at Children's Land

Our private kindergarten program uses MAP testing twice a year and holds parent-teacher conferences, with a 1:10 teacher-child ratio. Ask your location whether kindergarten is offered there, or contact us.

Related reading: Private vs Public Kindergarten in Illinois: How to Choose.