Acquiring literacy by a young person changes his/her perception of reality and broadens the possibilities of participation in social life. The following problem was addressed in the article: to what extent did middle school students achieve advanced literacy, consisting in the ability to interact with texts, and, in particular, to create written texts? The answer to this question was based on the analysis of middle school final examination documentation from years 2002-2018. These are obligatory examinations, which in those years took place at the end of the last uniform and compulsory stage of education. They were an opportunity to reveal the level of literacy of young people. Analysis of the documentation showed that middle school students have great difficulties in the area important for acquiring literacy, which is the ability to construct longer written utterances, which may hinder the full participation in a culture based on writing. The above results and the educational practice of "studying for a test" prompt to thoroughly rethink the construction of the eighth-grade examination (which will soon replace middle school examinations) in this regard.