50th percentile While you now have a sense of how the PSAT is scored, you might be wondering what scores are considered good. PSAT scores below 950 are below average scores. ACT® is a registered trademark of ACT, Inc. PSAT/NMSQT® is a registered trademark of the College Board and the National Merit Scholarship Corporation which were not involved in the production of, and do not endorse, this product. If you made it through this guide, it might be safe to assume you're getting ready for the PSAT! This is about the 95th percentile, or a 1350 on the PSAT for juniors or 1250 for sophomores. An excellent score will place you in the 90th percentile, which equates with a composite score of around 1180. Score reports show what you're doing well and what you should work on. What is a good PSAT score for Ivy League? A good PSAT score means to score more than 75% in the PSAT test to take which means you have to score at least 1060 out of 1520 and 520 to 540 in math and 520 to 540 in Reading and writing. Check out this guide to find official PSAT practice tests and tips for how to make the most of them. A good score places you around the 75th percentile, which is a composite score around 1050. The definition of a good score is ultimately tied to a prospective college student's goals. As a result, the ranges for these scores will vary depending on the section. The Selection Index is unique to the PSAT and not part of the SAT as the other scores are. Your PSAT section test scores are the ones that use a scale of 8-38. The PSAT 8/9, PSAT 10, PSAT/NMSQT, and SAT share a … Press & Media Overall, the average ACT score is 21, and a score of 23 or above is often considered a good score. If so, you'll want to have a solid understanding of what score to aim for and what your score report shows. Finally, scoring well on the PSAT can inform how you prep for the SAT. Generally, PSAT scores range from 320 to 1520, so the average PSAT score should be around 920. This puts you squarely in the 50th percentile. To learn more about signing up for the upcoming PSAT, check out our complete guide to PSAT registration. [ RELATED: How to Become a National Merit Scholarship Finalist ]. You can also check out this sample PSAT score report provided by the College Board. Your PSAT/NMSQT score ranges from 320 to 1520 points and is the sum of your Math and Evidence-Based Reading and Writing scores. Built by Harvard grads and SAT full scorers, the program learns your strengths and weaknesses through advanced statistics, then customizes your prep program to you so you get the most effective prep possible. You will receive a score ranging from 8 to 38 on each of the three tests (Reading, Writing & Language, and Math) as well as a score ranging from 160 to 760 for Evidence-Based Reading and Writing and for Math. In this guide, we'll explain everything you need to know about PSAT scores, including what score you should be aiming for, what score you'll need to meet National Merit cutoffs, and what PSAT score you'll need to impress colleges. The PSAT consists of three sections, each of which is scored on a Half of your total score is from the Math section, and the other half is from EBRW (which itself is a combination of the Reading and Writing and Language sections). Each subscore uses a scale of 1-15. Learn more about what are good SAT scores . What’s most important is that you get section test scores that add up to 111 (or whatever half your target Selection Index score is)—it doesn’t matter how you get there! (Just to be clear, a 99th percentile score does not necessarily mean you got a perfect PSAT score of 1520⁠—though it can.). Learn more about PSAT scores, when to take the test and how to prepare. When you're able to see your scores online will depend on the state from which you're trying to access your scores. To calculate your Selection Index, you will need to add your 3 test scores together and double it. PSAT scoring can be pretty complex. How to Become a National Merit Scholarship Finalist. Many high scorers who don’t receive National Merit Scholarships are awarded merit scholarships from the schools to which they apply based on their high scores. You can set a PSAT score goal based on the SAT score you'll need for your eventual college applications. You will receive a score ranging from 8 to 38 on each of the three tests (Reading, Writing & Language, and Math), You will also receive a score ranging from 160 to 760 for Evidence-Based Reading and Writing and for Math, Your overall PSAT score will range from 320 to 1520 and is calculated by adding your two area scores together, You will also receive subscores ranging from 1 to 15 in the following areas: Command of Evidence, Words in Context, Expression of Ideas, Standard English Conventions, Heart of Algebra, Problem Solving and Data Analysis, and Passport to Advanced Math, © Copyright Kaplan, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Your overall PSAT score will range from 320 to 1520 and is calculated by adding your two area scores together. The PSAT/NMSQT tests the same skills as the SAT, but in a way that makes sense for your grade level. Privacy Policy Well in this article you will explore answers to most of the questions centering a good PSAT score. Although shorter than the SAT, it contains the same types of math, reading, and writing questions. They are added together to get your cumulative score. For example, say you live in Hawaii, where the Selection Index score cutoff is currently 219. We have the industry's leading PSAT prep program. A good PSAT score really depends on what you’re trying to accomplish, what college you eventually want to go to and a few other factors. If you lived in West Virginia, you would have to score a 212. 1380 is a Top Score as for Top PSAT Scores to need to score between 1210 to 1520. ACT Writing: 15 Tips to Raise Your Essay Score, How to Get Into Harvard and the Ivy League, Is the ACT easier than the SAT? You took the SAT, got your scores back, and now want to know how you did.Or maybe you want to know what score to aim for next time. As you consider a PSAT score goal in the competitive scholarship qualification process, it’s wise to understand average scores and qualifying scores for various scholarship programs. The PSAT is not only good practice for the SAT, but scoring well can be a great way to earn scholarships. Because Math and EBRW each make up 50% of your total scaled PSAT score, it is vital that you do well on both sections if you want to get a high score and to increase your chances of qualifying for National Merit. What is a good SAT score? In contrast, a score that is well below average is considered low at just about any four-year school. Read more about Getting PSAT/NMSQT Scores. ], Contact Us Regardless of the exact cutoff for your state, all of the students who qualify earn high scores—less than the top 1% of high school students advance to become Semifinalists. What is a Good PSAT Score? The data below is for students who took the PSAT in October 2019. What SAT Target Score Should You Be Aiming For? SAT® is a registered trademark of the College Entrance Examination BoardTM. Those sections each have a range of 160-760. It’s possible that the score cutoffs for 2020 will change slightly, but for now you can use this data to get a sense of what to aim for. COVID-19 Updates Find out when to expect your PSAT/NMSQT scores. Check out this guide to figure out what makes a good score on the PSAT/NMSQT. If you’re a high-achieving student who has spent time prepping for the PSAT, then a good score for you might mean receiving National Merit distinction. Scoring is slightly different, with each section score ranging from 160-760 instead of 200-800 on the SAT. So for EBRW, you’d need a slightly higher score to get into the 50th, 75th, and 90th percentiles than you’d need for the same percentiles on Math. Whether a Selection Index of 216 will qualify you for National Merit will depend on what your state’s cutoff is. hbspt.cta._relativeUrls=true;hbspt.cta.load(360031, '9eb19b2d-5b44-4ca5-9039-efc99a8c2eb1', {}); Christine graduated from Michigan State University with degrees in Environmental Biology and Geography and received her Master's from Duke University. As you probably know, the PSAT is a practice SAT, so the score you get on this test is meant to be a predictor of what you’ll later get on the SAT (should you not do any additional studying in-between the two tests—but, of course, we advise studying a lot!). The PSAT/NMSQT gives you two scaled scores between 160 and 760. As a result, this chart of cutoffs was put together using crowd-sourced data from students all around the country. multiplied by 2. You can then use your PSAT results to help you create an SAT study plan. In high school she scored in the 99th percentile on the SAT and was named a National Merit Finalist. Each state will then determine their own Selection Index score cutoff for eligibility; this cutoff varies slightly every year. More than 10,000 of these students share more than $47 million in National Merit Scholarship money. To become a National Merit Semifinalist, you’ll need to score in the 99th percentile, which is the highest percentile possible. In addition to varying by state, this number can vary by year. On the contrary, the SAT has a score range of 400-1600. Scoring high on the PSAT lets you know you can score higher on the SAT. But to score in the 75th, 90th, or even 99th percentiles would make you stand out much more and put you in a great place for scoring well on the SAT. Good PSAT scores usually have a scaled score ranging between 950 to 1060, Math score of 500-550, and with reading and writing score of 500-550. The percentile for the PSAT user is the score where you land in comparison to others who took the test. PSAT scores between 950 and 1060 are above average scores that will put you in the top 50% of test takers. The 5 Strategies You Must Be Using to Improve 160+ SAT Points, How to Get a Perfect 1600, by a Perfect Scorer, Free Complete Official SAT Practice Tests. Want to improve your PSAT score by 150 points? Score cutoffs can change slightly each year depending on how test takers do, so overshooting a bit ensures these small variations will have less of an impact on your National Merit status. The highest scores you can get are 48 for Math, 47 for Reading, and 44 for Writing. Check out our top-rated graduate blogs here: © PrepScholar 2013-2018. The mean of the 2017 sophomores was 935. hbspt.cta.load(360031, '4efd5fbd-40d7-4b12-8674-6c4f312edd05', {}); Have any questions about this article or other topics? What ACT target score should you be aiming for? As you slowly begin Googling how to start preparing for college, you may come across new lingo - names for tests and long acronyms that you have no idea how to decipher. Cutoffs vary slightly each testing year. This will give you a rough estimate for the PSAT test scores you’ll need for each section. Each section is scored on a scale of 160-760 in 10-point increments. To be considered competitive, you’ll likely want to score above the 50th percentile. We can define a "good" PSAT score as one that's higher than the 75th percentile. This depends on the state you live in. When you get your PSAT score report, which numbers should you be paying most attention to? Along with your total score, you’ll get two scaled section scores (one each for Math and EBRW). As the table indicates, you'd need a near-perfect or perfect Math score to get in the 99th percentile, whereas you’d only need 730+ to get in the same percentile on EBRW. Getting a “good” PSAT score: the importance of PSAT percentiles. As a reminder, the PSAT score range is 320-1520 overall and 160-760 for Math and EBRW. For juniors, 75th percentile scores are around 570 to 590 in each section, or about 1150-1160 in total. If you scored in the top 10 percent of test-takers, your score will be in the 90th percentile. Your PSAT 8/9 score, which can range from 240 to 1440, is the total of your Math and Evidence-Based Reading and Writing scores. This is a good score but you should want to get higher. Before we look at these cutoff scores, let’s quickly review how to find your Selection Index. The 5 Strategies You Must Be Using to Improve 4+ ACT Points, How to Get a Perfect 36 ACT, by a Perfect Scorer. PSAT percentiles show you how you did on the test compared to other test takers. If you got a 810 SAT score, you're probably wondering how you compare to other students, and whether a 810 is good enough to get into college. The percentage listed on your score report tells you what percentage of test takers you scored better than on the exam. Interestingly, this trend shifts the lower you go in scores. Here is the full list of Selection Index score cutoffs for National Merit: On average, PSAT test takers in 2020 will most likely need a Selection Index of at least 218 to qualify for National Merit Semifinalist status. This is the score used by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC) to determine who qualifies for the National Merit scholarship competition. If you’re not sure what the PSAT is, it’s the Preliminary SAT, which is taken by millions of sophomores and juniors each year. If you want to see whether your PSAT score is on track to make you eligible for National Merit awards, check your Selection Index. A great score on the PSAT could get you noticed by colleges and earn you small perks such as meals during visits and waived application fees. As you can see, you’ll need to score at least 1010 overall to get what would generally be considered a good PSAT score for 2020. For sophomores, 75th percentile scores are around 520-540 on each section, or 1060 total. [ NEXT: How should I study for the PSAT? What defines a good score can vary significantly based on personal situation. The top 50,000 scorers on the PSAT are recognized by the National Merit Program and sent letters of commendation. PSATs have a score range of 320 to 1520, with 320 being the lowest score and 1520 the highest. Students aiming for National Merit should also check the Selection Index score to see if their score is above past years' qualifying scores for their state. There are multiple ways you can define a "good" PSAT score because, ultimately, students have different goals and reasons for taking the PSAT. Just to be on the safe side, you will want to aim a little higher than this—let’s say 222. 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