Your PSAT Score, Explained: Points, Percentiles, and the Selection Index -

By: Rita Cunha

It’s normal for high school students to worry about their PSAT score. After all, this standardized test can decide a lot of things about your future. But once you learn how PSAT scores work, you will be in better shape to ace your test. In this article, we will go over everything you need to know about the PSAT—what it is, how the grading works, and what targets you need to hit to score as high as possible. Understanding all this will give you a competitive edge over other test takers when you take the PSAT.

What Is the PSAT?

Before we get into PSAT scores, you must understand what this test is all about. The College Board PSAT (also called the Preliminary SAT) is a test given to students in sophomore and junior year. It is broken down into different sections to test your reading, writing, math, science, history, and social studies knowledge.

College Board is the non-profit organization that administers the test. If you look at PSAT’s full name, you’ll find a very important clue. The PSAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (NMSQT) can give you access to a scholarship if you do really well on it. We’ll get more into the National Merit Scholarships in a bit, but it’s a great incentive to ace it!

Are the PSAT and SAT Different?

You can probably tell by the name: the PSAT and SAT are very closely linked. Taking the PSAT is meant to prepare you for the big day when you take the SAT. If you do poorly on the PSAT, you know what areas to revise; and if you get a good PSAT score, you’ll have the confidence you need to ace your SAT. Simple as that.

That said, there are a few key differences between these two tests. For starters, the PSAT/NMSQT is graded slightly differently from the SAT. Secondly, the PSAT is taken by younger students (10th and 11th graders), while the SAT is taken by seniors. Lastly, you’ll use your SAT score to get into university, not the PSAT, which is only meant as practice.

SAT or ACT? Which One Is Best?

The ACT is very similar to the SAT. For one, they both assess the same type of knowledge and skills and are given to students of roughly the same age. Thus, despite being structured differently, neither is easier or harder.

Which one you choose to take is totally up to you and your high school. Some parts of the country sign students up for the ACT more frequently, while others book SATs more often. There really is very little difference. Especially since virtually all universities accept both tests.

One thing to note is that the PSAT is specifically designed to pair with the SAT. In other words, if you’ve already taken the PSAT, you’re better off taking the SAT, since they’re so similar.

How Does the PSAT Work?

The PSAT is split into these major parts: evidence-based reading, writing and language, and math (with and without a calculator).

For the first section, you’ll be given several passages and multiple-choice questions about the text. You must show that you can interpret the excerpt, pull important information from it, and understand the hypothesis put forward by the writer.

The section on writing and language is all about grammar. You’re supposed to fix grammatical mistakes, use the right punctuation, use different words, and so on.

Lastly, the math sections ask you to solve problems and put your algebra knowledge to the test. Remember, you won’t be able to use your calculator for one of the parts, so you should get into the habit of doing math in your head.

In total, you will have two hours and forty-five minutes to answer the questions. You can get extra time to finish your test if you have a learning disability, as long as you apply for special accommodation on time.

Who Can Take the PSAT?

The PSAT is designed for high school students. When sophomores take it, this test is called the PSAT 10. When students in their junior year take it, it’s called PSAT/NMSQT. In total, you can take the test twice in high school, once in each of those grades. This gives you a chance to improve your PSAT score and be better prepared for the SAT when you’re a senior.

There is also a test called the PSAT 8/9. This version is specifically designed for 8th and 9th graders, but it’s nowhere near as popular. While its score doesn’t count to your college admissions, it can still be a useful way of practicing taking standardized tests. Moreover, you can get a good idea of what subjects and areas you need to focus on.

How Is the PSAT Test Scored? PSAT Scoring 101

Brace yourself, because the PSAT is scored in a complicated way. Unfortunately, it’s not as simple as tallying up how many questions you got right. Instead, your answers for each part of the exam get counted separately and carry different weights. We’ll break it down so it’s easy to understand.

The first step is counting how many answers you got right in your evidence-based reading, in your writing, and in your math sections. These will be your raw test scores for each of the three sections.

Then, you need to convert the raw score into actual points. To do that, you use a table provided by the College Board and the National Merit Scholarship Corporation—only they know what the table looks like for each given year.

For example, say you got 35 math answers right out of 48. That’s your raw score. If you were to look at the score table for that year, you would see that you got 650 points on the math portion of the exam. That is what would show up on score reports.

All in all, what you need to know is that scoring the PSAT is hard work. It involves calculations and checking a chart that gets updated and published every year.

A Simple Guide to Your PSAT Results

Understanding your score on the PSAT is much easier, fortunately. Your PSAT score report will give you a useful insight into how you did in each section, and how well you did on the exam overall.

Points

First, you’ll see your composite score. That’s your overall score for the entire test. It ranges from 320 to 1520.

Then, you can see your evidence-based reading and writing score, as well as your math score. They each range from 160 to 760.

Lastly, you will also find your “raw score” on each test section. That is, how many questions you got right in the reading, writing, and math portions of the test.

Percentile

Additionally, your PSAT score report also includes what percentiles you fall into. This tells you how you compared to other students who took the PSAT.

For example, if you’re on the 89th percentile for your overall PSAT score, that means you did better than 89% of all test takers. Pretty cool, right?

Percentiles are especially useful if you want to judge your shot of getting into a top-ranked university. These institutions are incredibly competitive, so you need to be placed on a very high percentile to succeed.

NMSC Selection Index

As a bonus, if you’re a junior, you can also see what your National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC) Selection Index is. This score will range from 48 to 228—with a higher score being better. It is only available to students who took the National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT) version of the test.

The higher your overall PSAT score, the higher your NMSC Selection Index score will be. If you score in the top 1% for your state (and remember, the score you need depends on your state), you will be automatically entered to win a $2,500 scholarship for college.

The National Merit Scholarship Program is what makes the PSAT so important to so many students. Although you don’t use your score to get into university, acing the test can be a great way of getting some extra money for college.

What Is a Good PSAT Score?

A good PSAT score depends a lot on what your goals are. If you want to get into an elite college, you will need a very high score on the PSAT. But if you just want to get into a less competitive school (that might be just as good!), you will be able to get away with a lower score.

Regardless, we can split PSAT scores into four categories, generally speaking. This is based on percentiles, meaning how you fared on the test compared to other students who took the PSAT.

Top PSAT Scores

You’ll need to be in the 90th percentile of the PSAT to have a shot at getting into Harvard, Princeton, and other Ivy League colleges. That means your score needs to be in the top 10% of the test. A score of 1280 and up should be what you’re aiming for.

Best PSAT Scores

PSAT scores between 1150 and 1280 are great, and you should be proud of yourself if you score this high! It means you outdid 75% of test-takers, which is pretty good.

Good PSAT Scores

A good score will fall anywhere between 1000 and 1150. There are aspects you can work on to get a great score the next time you take your PSAT (or when you finally sit your SAT). Keep working!

Below Average PSAT Scores

Below-average test scores are anything from 320 to 1000. Scoring within this range would mean you’re doing worse than 50% of other test-takers, so you should work on getting your score up. Fortunately, you have time to work on your weaknesses so you can ace the SAT.

What PSAT Score Do You Need to Get Into College?

Your PSAT score shouldn’t affect your college admissions or college application process. Colleges don’t tend to look at it. What will matter is your SAT score. Sure, a good score on the PSAT means you will likely get a good score on the SAT, but that’s how far it goes.

At the end of the day, the PSAT is a practice test. It’s also a shot at getting into the National Merit Scholarship Program, which could help you pay for college.

Do You Need to Take the PSAT?

No, you do not need to take the PSAT. Although it’s a good way of getting an idea of what your future SAT score might be, it is not mandatory. Your college admissions won’t depend on your PSAT.

College Board recommends you taking the PSAT if you’re scheduled to take the SAT in your senior year, but in the end, it’s your decision.

How Can You Improve Your PSAT Score?

If you’re in 10th grade and didn’t get a good PSAT score, don’t worry too much. You can sit it again in junior year. Besides, what counts for college applications is your score on the SAT, and you still have time to work on it.

You could improve your score report by taking SAT prep classes. They help you ace the PSAT and SAT by going over the areas you’re having the most difficulty with. Luckily, these classes don’t have to cost a fortune: you can start taking the free Khan Academy SAT prep course today.

On top of that, you can always access old PSAT exams. Print them and stage your own test prep afternoon, in which you act as if you were at school taking the real PSAT. Remember to time yourself and grade your practice test afterward!

Your PSAT Score, Explained: Points, Percentiles, and the Selection Index