PSAT Scores Are In! Now What?
Updated November 2023
Did Your Student Just Receive PSAT Scores? This One’s for You:
Everyone has questions about PSAT scores when they come out, and I am here with answers for you.
What Is the PSAT? When and Why Do Students Take It?
Most high schools offer the PSAT to juniors as part of the National Merit Scholar (NMS) search process. Some high schools also offer the PACT (common in the West and Mountain West). Finally, some schools offer the PSAT to sophomores and even freshmen for early practice. Those early tests are not part of the NMS search process.
How Is the PSAT Scored?
Unlike the SAT, scored on a scale of 1600, the PSAT is scaled to a maximum score of 1520-- 760 verbal and 760 math. The test is very similar to the SAT but is slightly shorter in each section. This October, your junior took the first-ever digital PSAT offered in the US.
How Do I Find My PSAT Scores?
Follow the link from College Board in your email or log onto College Board with the student’s email and password and then navigate to the PSAT page.
Do Colleges See My PSAT Scores?
All of these tests are intended to help students prepare for college entrance exams, and they have no effect on getting into college. Bottom line: Colleges don’t see these scores unless a test taker has chosen to share them. It’s the same with the SAT and ACT-- unless and until you choose to send your scores to colleges, they don’t see them.
If Colleges Don’t See My PSAT Scores, Why Am I Getting All This Mail?
Testing agencies sell lists of students who take the test, so you may end up with a full mailbox regardless of your score.
National Merit Scholars and the PSAT
What Is the National Merit Scholar Competition/Test (NMSQT) and How Does It Relate to the PSAT?
Junior year PSAT test takers are automatically considered for the National Merit Scholar competition, so the PSAT for juniors is officially known as the NMSQT/PSAT. Each scaled score is assigned to a national selection index score out of a maximum 228 points.
How Do I Become a National Merit Scholar, a Finalist, or a Semi-finalist?
To qualify as a semi-finalist, a student must score at or above the selection index for the state. It is a state-relevant index– students in certain states score on average higher than students in other states. Thus, the top 1% of scorers in New Jersey will have a higher index score than the top 1% of scorers in, for example, New Mexico. For the Class of 2024, New Jersey and D.C. once again had the highest score cutoff in the country: 223.
We do not yet know what the indices will be for the Class of 2025. The final index is not released until next year, so right now we can only forecast cut offs. It is safe to say, however, that the selection index to qualify as a semi-finalist in a given state will be at or near the previous year’s number.
If a test taker qualifies as a semi-finalist, there is then a finalist round that requires submission of an application via the high school (about 90% of semifinalists become finalists).
Do I Win Scholarships for Being a National Merit Scholar?
Scholarships of $2,500 are awarded to NMS winners (approximately 50% of finalists). But the big money doesn’t come from the National Merit Scholar Foundation; rather, many colleges provide automatic merit aid to winners that can be extremely generous, including full tuition and even some full ride scholarships.
I Scored Below the Cutoff. Now What? Will I Qualify for Commended Scholar?
Commended scholars are assessed on a national basis. College Board provides this designation to the top 50,000 scorers nationally. The Commended Scholar cutoff for the class of 2024 was 207 (the same as it had been the previous two years). This is also a huge honor, and commended scholars should be proud!
What if I Missed the PSAT-- Is There Any Other Way to Qualify for National Merit?
The National Merit Scholarship Corporation always offers the option to apply through an alternate method if a student has missed the PSAT because of illness or other extenuating circumstance. In that case, the student must write to National Merit no later than April 1 after the missed PSAT, and National Merit will then determine whether the student qualifies for alternate entry.
See which colleges offer discounts to National Merit Finalists
Does the PSAT Predict How Well I Will Do on the SAT?
It depends. The test gives you a snapshot of what you knew and how well you could demonstrate it on that particular day. If you studied quite a bit for the test and you didn’t have interfering issues-- anxiety, sickness, timing issues-- then the test could be predictive. If, however, you went in cold, it’s likely you can raise your score quite a bit with preparation.
What Is a “Good” PSAT Score?
A score doesn’t occur in a vacuum, and its value doesn’t either, so the definition of “good” depends on your goals. Remember that a PSAT score will usually translate to a SAT score about 60-80 points higher with no prep and often 100-200+ points higher with dedicated preparation.
PSAT Estimated Score Ranges:
1350+ Students who wish to attend the most highly selective schools, including schools like MIT, Stanford, and those in the Ivy League, will often score in the high 1300s or low 1400s on the PSAT.
1200s - Students who wish to attend selective schools with acceptance rates in the 30%-40% range will often score in the 1200s on the PSAT.
900s-1100s - Students who wish to attend somewhat selective schools with mid-range acceptance rates in the 50-80% range.
If I Took the PSAT, What Are Some Things I Should Do Right Now?
Set up a personal email account designated only for college communications. Use it to register for the PSAT, SAT, and for communications with colleges.
Use your scores to determine if and when you want to prepare for the SAT or ACT. Some students will perform better on the ACT than the SAT, so I always encourage a practice ACT as a comparison point before moving forward with either test.
Link your PSAT scores to Khan Academy and use the free resources there to focus on your areas that need improvement. www.KhanAcademy.org.
If you have questions about when to take the SAT, how to prepare for the March digital SAT, if you should take the ACT instead, or whether you should test at all, check out this blog post .
If you are taking the SAT soon, remember to review my SAT test-day checklist.
