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. 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! There is no “good” PSAT 10 score—the test should be used as a benchmark to see how you’re doing in high school. Because the PSAT 10, PSAT/NMSQT, and SAT share a common scale, the highest score you can get on the PSAT 10 is 1520 compared to 1600 for 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. Get the latest articles and test prep tips! Scoring is slightly different, with each section score ranging from 160-760 instead of 200-800 on the SAT. 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. We can define a "good" PSAT score as one that's higher than the 75th percentile. It has three main functions: The PSAT is excellent practice for the SAT. Try to set realistic goals for yourself based on your own strengths and weaknesses. Ask questions; get answers. The higher your percentile, the better you performed relative to other test takers. (Just to be clear, a 99th percentile score does not necessarily mean you got a perfect PSAT score of 1520⁠—though it can.). You just need to take the Selection Index score cutoff for your state, divide it by 2, and then divide again by 3. See how other students and parents are navigating high school, college, and the college admissions process. Interestingly, this trend shifts the lower you go in scores. Subscores are given out by the College Board to provide you with more insight into how you did across specific skill sets and question types. Much depends on the strength of the rest of your application (e.g., if your transcript is first-rate, then the pressure to do well on the PCAT isn’t as intense) and on where you want to go to school (e.g., different schools have different score expectations). 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 average PSAT score is 460 in each section (Evidence-Based Reading and Writing, and Math). What is a Good PSAT Score? This will give you a score of 980. A “good score” depends on a variety of factors, including personal context, overall average test scores, and the schools on your college list. Many schools purchase lists of high-scoring students and encourage these students to apply. Generally, PSAT scores above the 50th percentile can be considered good or above average, since you scored higher than the majority 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. What defines a good score can vary significantly based on personal situation. This puts you squarely in the 50th percentile. The top 50,000 scorers on the PSAT are recognized by the National Merit Program and sent letters of commendation. 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. Here are the eight main pieces of information you’ll see on your score report. The definition of a good score is ultimately tied to a prospective college student's goals. PSATs have a score range of 320 to 1520, with 320 being the lowest score and 1520 the highest. This is the score used by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC) to determine who qualifies for the National Merit scholarship competition. We have the complete guide for you here. When you get your PSAT score report, which numbers should you be paying most attention to? The PSAT/NMSQT gives you two scaled scores between 160 and 760. A good PSAT test score can qualify you for academic honors, add a gold star to your college application, and lead to scholarships later on. hbspt.cta.load(360031, '4efd5fbd-40d7-4b12-8674-6c4f312edd05', {}); Have any questions about this article or other topics? Taking the PSAT gives you a chance to qualify for several scholarship programs, most notably the National Merit Scholarship Program. PSAT scores between 1070 and 1200 are competitive scores that will put you in the top 25% of all test takers. For example, say you live in Hawaii, where the Selection Index score cutoff is currently 219. 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 example, if you got a 1260 on the PSAT but will need a 1380 for the SAT, you’re going to have to improve your score by at least 120 points. Your overall PSAT score will range from 320 to 1520 and is calculated by adding your two area scores together. The score report you get might seem confusing at first, but now you know what PSAT scaled scores, section scores, and subscores mean (and you can always use this article as a refresher if you forget!). If you make it, then great; if not, you'll then know you need to put in more time prepping for the SAT to get into the sweet spot for the colleges you want to apply to. Before we analyze what a good PSAT score for 2020, let’s take a moment to review how PSAT scoring works and what you’ll be seeing on your PSAT score report. The table below offers an overview of what PSAT percentiles mean in terms of how well you did on the exam relative to other test takers: Source: The College Board PSAT/NMSQT Understanding Scores 2019. It does not, however, contain an essay component. Are you aiming for top scores on the PSAT? Some schools or districts will offer the PSAT to sophomores in October, or PSAT 10 in the Spring of their sophomore year. In this blog, we’ll explain what the PSAT test is, how to access your scores, and how to evaluate your performance on the test. On your score report, likely the first number you’ll see is your overall scaled PSAT score. How can you find the section scores you need to qualify for National Merit? This puts you squarely in the 50th percentile. Our first step, then, is to divide 222 by 2: To get our target test scores for the Math, Reading, and Writing sections, we'll just need to divide this number by 3: This means that your target scores for Math, Reading, and Writing would be 37 for each section. In general, a combined SAT score of roughly 1400 will make you competitive at nearly any college or university in the country. Score Structure. [ GOOD TO KNOW: What does your PSAT score mean for the SAT or ACT? Each subscore uses a scale of 1-15. 50th percentile For sophomores, 75th percentile scores are around 520-540 on each section, or 1060 total. You can also confirm your own state’s cutoff by calling the NMSC at (847) 866-5100. It's equal to the sum of all three section test scores (not scaled scores!) Partner Solutions check out our complete guide to PSAT registration, the SAT, where the highest possible score is 1600, who qualifies for the National Merit scholarship competition, view the full list of current PSAT percentiles here, The College Board PSAT/NMSQT Understanding Scores 2019, Our expert guide on what a good SAT score is, the SAT score you'll need for your eventual college applications, Get Free Guides to Boost Your SAT/ACT Score, official PSAT practice tests and tips for how to make the most of them, what makes a good score on the PSAT/NMSQT, Whether the score qualifies you for National Merit, Whether the score is close to the SAT score you’ll eventually need for your chosen colleges. 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. A good score on the PSAT would equate to around a 1190-1200 on the SAT. What’s a good PSAT score? Most high schools go with the primary test date, so you will likely take the PSAT on October 14. Students who score in the top 3-4% are named Commended Students, and those who score in the top 1% are named Semifinalists and can apply to become Finalists and eventually win scholarship money. Math is the more competitive section, as it requires you to get a higher score in order to get into those ultra-high percentiles. Terms and Conditions You'll get one point for each question you answer correctly in a section. 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. 1520 is the max score you can get (this max differs from the SAT, where the highest possible score is 1600). Whether you qualify as a Commended Student, a Semifinalist, a Finalist, or a full-fledged National Merit Scholar, it’s definitely worth noting this achievement on your college applications. The PSAT/NMSQT tests the same skills as the SAT, but in a way that makes sense for your grade level. In that case, you'd want to  use percentiles to determine what makes a good score on the PSAT. Taking the PSAT also gives you a chance to qualify for several scholarship programs, most notably the National Merit Scholarship Program. You can view the full list of current PSAT percentiles here to see where you rank. Also, you might have noticed that the PSAT scores you need to reach certain percentiles on the two sections differ slightly. The top 16,000 scorers become semifinalists, and approximately 15,000 semifinalists become finalists. 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 5 Strategies You Must Be Using to Improve 4+ ACT Points, How to Get a Perfect 36 ACT, by a Perfect Scorer. Before we look at these cutoff scores, let’s quickly review how to find your Selection Index. This score will put you roughly in the 50 th percentile rank. A good score places you around the 75th percentile, which is a composite score around 1050. 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. This depends on the state you live in. 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. 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. What is a good SAT score? Your total PSAT score out of 1520 is the sum of your scaled section scores for Math and Evidence-Based Reading and Writing (EBRW). If you want to see whether your PSAT score is on track to make you eligible for National Merit awards, check your Selection Index. Each state has its own Selection Index score cutoff to determine which test takers qualify as Commended Students and which qualify as Semifinalists. The PSAT is also excellent practice for the SAT and can help you stand out to colleges. Aside from the possibility of receiving tuition for college, the National Merit Scholarship program gives you recognition that is an impressive addition to your college applications. What ACT target score should you be aiming for? What does your PSAT score mean for the SAT or ACT? When you're able to see your scores online will depend on the state from which you're trying to access your scores. This score is enough to get you into some nationally recognized state universities with moderately competitive admissions. However, if your PSAT score is hundreds of points below your SAT goal score, you’ll definitely want to come up with a solid study plan and really utilize the time you have between the tests to improve your weaknesses. 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. The PSAT is good preparation for the SAT and may yield scholarship money for top scorers. Here's how you’d calculate your Selection Index. PSAT percentiles show you how you did on the test compared to other test takers. Check out our study plan. But to score in the 75th, 90th, or even 99th percentiles would make you stand out much more and put you in … In addition to your overall scores, you will receive subscores that provide a deeper analysis of your PSAT performance. Finally, scoring well on the PSAT can inform how you prep for the SAT. What SAT Target Score Should You Be Aiming For? More than 10,000 of these students share more than $47 million in National Merit Scholarship money. A Comprehensive Guide. For example, a total PSAT score of 1000 means that, if you took the SAT on the same day, most likely you would have gotten a total SAT score of 1000. The percentile for the PSAT user is the score where you land in comparison to others who took the test. We can define a "good" PSAT score for a sophomore as one that's higher than the 75th percentile. As a result, the ranges for these scores will vary depending on the section. 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? What’s a good PSAT score? PSAT scores between 950 and 1060 are above average scores that will put you in the top 50% of test takers. 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. SAT scores are incredibly important at top schools. You can then use your PSAT results to help you create an SAT study plan. 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. This is about the 95th percentile, or a 1350 on the PSAT for juniors or 1250 for sophomores. COVID-19 Updates Cutoffs vary slightly each testing year. The final way you can determine a "good" PSAT score is to look at the SAT scores you’ll eventually need to get accepted to the colleges you’re interested in attending. When setting your ACT score goal for 2020, it’s a good idea to look at the score averages for the schools to which you’re applying. The table below shows the Selection Index score you’ll need to qualify for National Merit in every US state. The PSAT costs $17 per student, but some schools cover all or part of this fee. Just to be on the safe side, you will want to aim a little higher than this—let’s say 222. Some subscores might appear across multiple sections. Each section is scored on a scale of 160-760 in 10-point increments. You’ll also receive a raw PSAT score for Math, Reading, and Writing. For example, if you live in California and took the PSAT in October 2017, you would need to have a Selection Index score of 223 in order to qualify as a Semifinalist. Scoring high on the PSAT lets you know you can score higher on the SAT. Overall, the average ACT score is 21, and a score of 23 or above is often considered a good score. You can set a PSAT score goal based on the SAT score you'll need for your eventual college applications. While you now have a sense of how the PSAT is scored, you might be wondering what scores are considered good. 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. For the 2020 PSAT, you'll take the test in October and get your scores back mid-December. The most important data on your PSAT score report is your scaled total score and scaled section scores. 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 is scored on a scale of 320-1520 in 10-point increments. If you’re already scoring very close to your goal SAT scores on the PSAT, then you won’t need to do that much additional prepping for the SAT. 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. The PSAT also gives you a percentile ranking, which allows you to compare your scores with those of other high school juniors who took the test. If you’re getting ready to take the PSAT and want to qualify for National Merit, it’s best to aim for a Selection Index score about 2 to 5 points higher than your state’s predicted cutoff score. 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. This is perhaps the piece of data you'll be most interested in. SAT® is a registered trademark of the College Entrance Examination BoardTM. The Selection Index is unique to the PSAT and not part of the SAT as the other scores are. Read on for the breakdown of ACT scores … Along with your total score, you’ll get two scaled section scores (one each for Math and EBRW). Generally, PSAT scores range from 320 to 1520, so the average PSAT score should be around 920. PSAT scoring can be pretty complex. PSAT scores between 1210 and 1520 are excellent scores that will put you in the top 10% of all test takers. [ RELATED: How to Become a National Merit Scholarship Finalist ]. Your Junior year PSAT score is what qualifies you for the National Merit Scholarship. Keep reading for the full list of current state cutoff scores. For example, if you’re great at math but not so good at reading comprehension, you could aim for a 38 on Math and a slightly lower 36 on Reading. If you made it through this guide, it might be safe to assume you're getting ready for the PSAT! And the score that helps you get in to a college that accepts a high percentage of students who apply may not be the same as the score … Only juniors who take the PSAT are eligible for National Merit; sophomores aren't eligible. To learn more about signing up for the upcoming PSAT, check out our complete guide to PSAT registration. Find out when to expect your PSAT/NMSQT scores. The top 1% of test takers in each state go on to become Semifinalists, with the potential of becoming Finalists and eventually winning the scholarship. The highest scores you can get are 48 for Math, 47 for Reading, and 44 for Writing. In addition to varying by state, this number can vary by year. 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. Scores in percentiles higher than this, such as the 80th or 90th percentile, are even better, while scores in percentiles lower than this can be considered below average. This is a good score but you should want to get higher. Below are the (estimated) number of hours you’ll need to commit to studying for the SAT based on how many total points you're trying to improve by: Remember that the max PSAT score is only 1520, whereas the max SAT score is 1600; however, a 1520 on the PSAT does not directly correspond to a 1600 on the SAT. ], Contact Us Privacy Policy The PSAT has a cumulative score range of 320-1520. A VERY GOOD PSAT SCORE: A very good score on the PSAT would equate to around a 1400 on the SAT®– enough to get you into a top 50 or competitive admissions school with admission rates in the 20-40% range — again this is ballpark. 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. If you achieve a score ranging on this scale, it signifies that you have scored above the average. Good preparation for the PSAT on October 14 are navigating high school she scored in the 99th percentile the... Scholarship money for top scores on the PSAT Examination BoardTM perhaps the piece data... Of 200-800 on the test range from 320 to 1520 to others who took the PSAT juniors. Competitive and only top scorers become finalists is calculated by adding your two area scores together encourage! 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