diff --git a/.changeset/twelve-beans-raise.md b/.changeset/twelve-beans-raise.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..e704b05560
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/twelve-beans-raise.md
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+"@khanacademy/perseus": patch
+---
+
+Refine Matrix's Rubric and UserInput types
diff --git a/packages/perseus/src/validation.types.ts b/packages/perseus/src/validation.types.ts
index f6885891e2..f330816135 100644
--- a/packages/perseus/src/validation.types.ts
+++ b/packages/perseus/src/validation.types.ts
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ import type {
     PerseusImageWidgetOptions,
     PerseusInteractionWidgetOptions,
     PerseusMatcherWidgetOptions,
-    PerseusMatrixWidgetOptions,
+    PerseusMatrixWidgetAnswers,
     PerseusNumberLineWidgetOptions,
     PerseusNumericInputWidgetOptions,
     PerseusOrdererWidgetOptions,
@@ -138,10 +138,13 @@ export type PerseusMatcherUserInput = {
     right: ReadonlyArray<string>;
 };
 
-export type PerseusMatrixRubric = PerseusMatrixWidgetOptions;
+export type PerseusMatrixRubric = {
+    // A data matrix representing the "correct" answers to be entered into the matrix
+    answers: PerseusMatrixWidgetAnswers;
+};
 
 export type PerseusMatrixUserInput = {
-    answers: ReadonlyArray<ReadonlyArray<number>>;
+    answers: PerseusMatrixRubric["answers"];
 };
 
 export type PerseusNumberLineRubric = PerseusNumberLineWidgetOptions & {
diff --git a/packages/perseus/src/widgets/matrix/matrix-validator.test.ts b/packages/perseus/src/widgets/matrix/matrix-validator.test.ts
index 5e4af99f0d..821045c1b0 100644
--- a/packages/perseus/src/widgets/matrix/matrix-validator.test.ts
+++ b/packages/perseus/src/widgets/matrix/matrix-validator.test.ts
@@ -11,16 +11,11 @@ describe("matrixValidator", () => {
     it("can be answered correctly", () => {
         // Arrange
         const rubric: PerseusMatrixRubric = {
-            prefix: "",
-            suffix: "",
             answers: [
                 [0, 1, 2],
                 [3, 4, 5],
                 [6, 7, 8],
             ],
-            cursorPosition: [],
-            matrixBoardSize: [],
-            static: false,
         };
 
         const userInput: PerseusMatrixUserInput = {
@@ -37,16 +32,11 @@ describe("matrixValidator", () => {
     it("can be answered incorrectly", () => {
         // Arrange
         const rubric: PerseusMatrixRubric = {
-            prefix: "",
-            suffix: "",
             answers: [
                 [0, 1, 2],
                 [3, 4, 5],
                 [6, 7, 8],
             ],
-            cursorPosition: [],
-            matrixBoardSize: [],
-            static: false,
         };
 
         const userInput: PerseusMatrixUserInput = {
@@ -67,16 +57,11 @@ describe("matrixValidator", () => {
     it("is invalid when there's an empty cell: null", () => {
         // Arrange
         const rubric: PerseusMatrixRubric = {
-            prefix: "",
-            suffix: "",
             answers: [
                 [0, 1, 2],
                 [3, 4, 5],
                 [6, 7, 8],
             ],
-            cursorPosition: [],
-            matrixBoardSize: [],
-            static: false,
         };
 
         const userInput: PerseusMatrixUserInput = {
@@ -100,16 +85,11 @@ describe("matrixValidator", () => {
     it("is invalid when there's an empty cell: empty string", () => {
         // Arrange
         const rubric: PerseusMatrixRubric = {
-            prefix: "",
-            suffix: "",
             answers: [
                 [0, 1, 2],
                 [3, 4, 5],
                 [6, 7, 8],
             ],
-            cursorPosition: [],
-            matrixBoardSize: [],
-            static: false,
         };
 
         const userInput: PerseusMatrixUserInput = {
@@ -133,16 +113,11 @@ describe("matrixValidator", () => {
     it("is considered incorrect when the size is wrong", () => {
         // Arrange
         const rubric: PerseusMatrixRubric = {
-            prefix: "",
-            suffix: "",
             answers: [
                 [0, 1, 2],
                 [3, 4, 5],
                 [6, 7, 8],
             ],
-            cursorPosition: [],
-            matrixBoardSize: [],
-            static: false,
         };
 
         const correctUserInput: PerseusMatrixUserInput = {
diff --git a/packages/perseus/src/widgets/matrix/matrix-validator.ts b/packages/perseus/src/widgets/matrix/matrix-validator.ts
index 599224d5f6..0b7f48a8ea 100644
--- a/packages/perseus/src/widgets/matrix/matrix-validator.ts
+++ b/packages/perseus/src/widgets/matrix/matrix-validator.ts
@@ -12,12 +12,12 @@ import type {
 } from "../../validation.types";
 
 function matrixValidator(
-    state: PerseusMatrixUserInput,
+    userInput: PerseusMatrixUserInput,
     rubric: PerseusMatrixRubric,
     strings: PerseusStrings,
 ): PerseusScore {
     const solution = rubric.answers;
-    const supplied = state.answers;
+    const supplied = userInput.answers;
     const solutionSize = getMatrixSize(solution);
     const suppliedSize = getMatrixSize(supplied);