How Are PSAT Scores Calculated?

The PSAT (also called the National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test/NMSQT) is something many high school students take, often without ever really knowing why. Some of those students then get letters saying they’re semifinalists, and referencing scores and selection indexes, two very different numbers. Very little of this is ever explained to the students taking the tests, who understandably have a few questions. In this article we’re going to break down how scoring for the PSAT works, and how PSAT scores relate to scores on the SAT. We’re also going to cover how these scores are converted to a selection index number, and how this number is used to qualify students for the National Merit Scholarship. The PSAT can be a very helpful thing, and we hope this will help you better understand how it works. 

Scoring the PSAT

The PSAT, much like the SAT, is now offered as an adaptive digital test. Each question is worth a variable number of points, based on the difficulty of the question and the material covered. There is an additional floating variable which calculates whether or not you are simply guessing the answer. How exactly this works, the math behind it, is a black box carefully guarded by College Board. 

All of the scores are calculated by computers once you have completed your test. These can be smoothed out if there are irregularities; particularly hard questions may be identified after the fact and scores adjusted accordingly. The PSAT, like the SAT, has two sections; Reading and Writing, and Math. Each of these is scored from 160-760 points.

This is in contrast to the SAT, which scores each of those sections from 200-800 points. Thus PSAT scores are 320-1520, while SAT scores are 400-1600. We have never heard a satisfying answer for why they do this; it is simply how College Board scores the PSAT. 

Your scores can be accessed online through College Board’s website. When you check this, you will see your score, the average scores of all students over the past three years, and your tester percentile. Your percentile is your ranking amongst students in the past three cohorts who took the same test; a percentile of 40% means that you did better than 40% of test takers; a percentile of 80% correspondingly means you did better than 80% of test takers in that same time frame. 

PSAT Score Conversions: SAT and Selection Index

Theoretically, your score on the PSAT is supposed to have a 1:1 correlation to how you would score on the SAT. Thus scoring a 520 on the math section of the PSAT should translate to a score of 520 on the math section of the SAT. It is impossible to get a 1600 on the PSAT; this is meant to represent the slightly easier nature of the questions, and the somewhat expanded content covered on the SAT.

While this is the intended correlation, it does not always work out this way. Based on our test prep work with students, we have found the PSAT to be a useful barometer. There are some aspects of the test which can throw off students, and lead to artificially low scores however; the most common we see are: 

• Familiarity with the style of question. College Board phrases and structures questions in a particular way, which can be difficult to parse for those who are unfamiliar with it. 
• Lack of subject knowledge. Different high schools cover material in different orders and at different speeds, so you may not have seen all of the concepts the PSAT asks about.
• Test anxiety. Even though the PSAT is generally considered less stressful than the SAT, test anxiety is a real problem, and can throw off your concentration.

If you are concerned about any of these impacting your scores, or if the score you got on the PSAT is less than you would like, then Ivy Scholars can help. Our test prep service helps students target and fix their specific deficits when facing the test, and sees an average improvement of 180 points on the SAT. Learn more here. 

The Selection Index

The PSAT is used to qualify students for National Merit scholarships. It would be reasonable to do this by simply comparing scores, so of course they don’t do that. Here is the formula they use, copied off of College Board’s website: 

This doubles the importance of your Reading and Writing score relative to Math, while also producing a much narrower band of scores. Why they prioritize the Reading and Writing section is not specified, that’s just how they do it. 

Note that the selection index is relative. The score cutoff is decided by state. Each state is given a certain number of semifinalist spaces, relative to their population, then the cutoff is set for that state in order to make sure they have approximately that number of semifinalists. 

While this is meant to be representative, states with smaller populations benefit disproportionately. It is simply easier to get a national merit scholarship living in Wyoming or Idaho than California or Texas. States with smaller populations but extremely strong public education systems are also more competitive; this can be seen in much of New England. 

National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Scores by State

It takes time to calculate the qualifying selection index scores each year, much longer than simply scoring the PSAT itself. This is because all of the tests for a particular state must be scored, then compared against the number of spots they have to find the qualifying score for that year. They do not announce how long this will take, or when index scores will be available this year.

We can, however, look at qualifying scores from the past two years. This won’t tell you exactly what score you need this year, but it will give you a ballpark. We rarely see major score changes from year to year, except during the whole Covid thing, which made a hash of absolutely everything. 

Here is a table of all fifty states (and DC), and the selection index score students needed to qualify:

What PSAT Scores Do You Need?

One of the annoying things about this data is that the cutoffs do not translate directly to PSAT scores; there are multiple combinations of reading and writing scores which can lead to the same cutoff score, especially with how the two are weighted differently. That said, this does give a good idea of the range of scores needed to qualify, even if the exact scores differ. 

The minimum score you could get and qualify last year was a 700 in both sections. That’s doing very well, especially when the total score available is 760. You have room to miss some questions, but certainly not many. And scoring a 700 on both sections would only qualify you in the least competitive states last year; for most, the bar is far higher.

If you are taking practice tests to prepare for the PSAT then, and you have a goal of qualifying for the National Merit Scholarship, you should be aiming for SAT scores in the mid 700s for both sections. This is hard, but it is meant to be hard. The reason the National merit Scholarship is so competitive, and so prestigious, is because not everyone gets one. 

Studying for the PSAT has a secondary benefit as well; even if you don’t end up qualifying for the National Merit Scholarship, it will give you a leg up on preparing for the SAT. We have found that consistent work over time is the best way to prepare for this test, while minimizing the amount of stress placed on students.

Final Thoughts

The PSAT is a staple of high school experiences, but that doesn’t necessarily make it enjoyable. It shouldn’t be something you dread however, and we hope that this article has disambiguated how the test works, and what you can expect from it. It is rather different from what else you will encounter in terms of tests in high school, and forewarned is forearmed. 

The PSAT isn’t the highest stakes test you’ll ever take, but the SAT and ACT do have a demonstrable impact on your chances of college admission, and doing well on them can make your path significantly easier. If you are looking for help preparing for any of these tests, or with other aspects of the college application process, then Ivy Scholars can help. Schedule a free consultation today to learn how we can make your life easier, we’re always happy to hear from you.