What constitutes a good PSAT score? Many parents and students get nervous leading up to the PSAT (or the Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test) because they believe the student’s score will impact their case for admission to elite universities.

To qualify for the National Merit Scholarship Program, most test-takers need to score in the top percentile of test-takers in their state. In most cases, this means attaining a score of at least 700 in both sections of the PSAT, producing a combined score of at least 1400. However, the threshold for qualification varies according to the average performance of students in your state. For example, students in Massachusetts and New Jersey typically must score higher than those in Montana and Wyoming to qualify for the same set of awards.

But, as discussed in this post, the PSAT, which is now digital, shorter than in previous years, and comes with more time per question, is not a significant factor in the elite college admissions process. Nonetheless, you might wonder about the PSAT score range, what the PSAT score percentiles and academic benchmarks mean, and more!

PSAT Sections and Scoring Scale

The PSAT is divided into two main sections: Evidence-Based Reading and Writing (EBRW) and Math. Each section is scored on a scale of 160-760; your total is the sum of both sections. Your overall PSAT score range is 320-1520. For example, a student who scores 660 on the EBRW section and 730 on the Math section has a total PSAT score of 1390.

Students also receive section scores on a scale of 48-238. These scores formulate a Section Index Score, which the National Merit Scholarship Corporation uses to determine if a student qualifies for semifinalist recognition.

Digital PSAT vs. In-Person PSAT Scoring

Scoring looks a little different for the new-fangled Digital PSAT. According to the College Board, “The SAT Suite uses adaptive test design with item response theory (IRT) pattern scoring. Adaptive testing allows for fewer questions, in less time, than traditional paper tests. Pattern scoring allows for precise measurement of students’ knowledge and skills. Students’ scores are determined by whether they answer questions right or wrong, and by considering attributes of the questions, including difficulty level, the questions’ ability to differentiate between students with various levels of content knowledge, and the probability that a student is guessing based on their pattern of responses.”

In other words, the digital SAT adjusts its difficulty level in the second half of each section according to how well the student performed in the first half. While this streamlines the entire process, the content of the test has remained the same, including the fundamentals of reading, writing, and math. For more information on the changes that have come with the digitalization of the SAT and other tests, check out this blog.

PSAT Scores vs. SAT Scores

The PSAT score ranges differ from the SAT score ranges. For the SAT, which is comprised of a Math and Evidence-Based Reading and Writing section, students can score between 200-800 on each section (or between 400-1600 for the two sections combined).

PSAT Score Percentiles

A PSAT Score Report, provided by The College Board, includes a percentile (or a comparison between a student and the other test-takers). If a student is in the 99th percentile, they scored better than or equal to 99% of all test-takers in that administration. If a student is in the 65th percentile, they scored equal to or better than 65% of all test-takers in that administration.

	10th Grade		11th Grade
Total Score	Nationally Representative Percentiles	User Group Percentiles	Nationally Representative Percentiles	User Group Percentiles
1520	99+	99+	99+	99+
1510	99+	99+	99+	99+
1500	99+	99+	99+	99+
1490	99+	99+	99+	99+
1480	99+	99+	99+	99
1470	99+	99+	99+	99
1460	99+	99+	99+	99
1450	99+	99+	99+	99
1440	99+	99+	99+	98
1430	99+	99+	99+	98
1420	99	99	99	98
1410	99	99	99	97
1400	99	99	99	97
1390	99	99	99	97
1380	99	99	99	96
1370	99	99	99	96
1360	99	99	98	96
1350	98	99	98	95
1340	98	98	98	95
1330	98	98	97	94
1320	98	98	97	94
1310	97	98	97	93
1300	97	98	96	93
1290	97	97	96	92
1280	97	97	95	92
1270	96	97	95	91
1260	96	96	94	90
1250	95	96	94	89
1240	95	95	93	88
1230	94	95	92	87
1220	94	94	92	86
1210	93	94	91	85
1200	92	93	90	84
1190	91	92	89	83
1180	91	92	88	82
1170	90	91	87	81
1160	89	90	86	80
1150	88	89	85	78
1140	87	88	84	77
1130	86	87	83	75
1120	84	86	82	74
1110	83	85	81	73
1100	82	84	79	71
1090	81	83	77	69
1080	79	82	76	68
1070	78	80	74	66
1060	76	79	73	65
1050	75	78	70	63
1040	73	76	68	61
1030	71	75	65	60
1020	69	73	63	58
1010	67	72	61	56
1000	65	70	59	54
990	63	68	57	52
980	62	67	55	51
970	60	65	53	49
960	58	63	51	47
950	56	61	48	45
940	54	60	46	44
930	52	58	44	42
920	50	56	42	40
910	48	54	39	38
900	46	52	37	36
890	44	50	35	35
880	42	48	33	33
870	40	46	31	31
860	38	44	29	29
850	36	42	28	28
840	33	39	26	26
830	31	37	24	24
820	28	35	21	23
810	26	33	20	21
800	24	31	18	20
790	22	28	15	18
780	19	26	14	16
770	17	24	12	15
760	15	22	10	14
750	13	20	8	12
740	11	18	8	11
730	9	16	7	10
720	8	14	5	8
710	6	12	3	7
700	5	11	2	7
690	4	9	2	6
680	3	8	1	5
670	2	7	1	4
660	2	6	1-	4
650	1	5	1-	3
640	1	5	1-	3
630	1	4	1-	3
620	1	4	1-	2
610	1-	3	1-	2
600	1-	3	1-	2
590	1-	3	1-	2
580	1-	3	1-	1
570	1-	2	1-	1
560	1-	2	1-	1
550	1-	2	1-	1
540	1-	2	1-	1
530	1-	2	1-	1
520	1-	2	1-	1
510	1-	1	1-	1
500	1-	1	1-	1
490	1-	1	1-	1
480	1-	1	1-	1
470	1-	1	1-	1
460	1-	1	1-	1-
450	1-	1	1-	1-
440	1-	1	1-	1-
430	1-	1	1-	1-
420	1-	1-	1-	1-
410	1-	1-	1-	1-
400	1-	1-	1-	1-
390	1-	1-	1-	1-
380	1-	1-	1-	1-
370	1-	1-	1-	1-
360	1-	1-	1-	1-
350	1-	1-	1-	1-
340	1-	1-	1-	1-
330	1-	1-	1-	1-
320	1-	1-	1-	1-

11th Grade Section Score Percentiles

	EBRW		Math
Section Score	Nationally Representative Percentiles	User Group Percentiles	Nationally Representative Percentiles	User Group Percentiles
760	99+	99+	99+	99+
750	99+	99+	99+	99
740	99+	99	99+	98
730	99+	99	99	98
720	99+	98	99	97
710	99+	97	98	97
700	99+	96	98	96
690	99	95	97	96
680	99	94	97	95
670	98	92	96	95
660	97	91	95	94
650	96	89	95	94
640	95	87	94	93
630	93	85	93	92
620	91	83	92	91
610	90	81	91	90
600	88	79	90	88
590	86	76	88	86
580	85	74	86	84
570	82	71	83	81
560	80	68	81	78
550	77	65	77	76
540	74	62	73	72
530	71	59	69	69
520	67	56	65	66
510	63	53	62	63
500	60	50	58	59
490	55	47	54	55
480	50	44	49	51
470	46	41	43	47
460	42	38	40	43
450	39	35	37	39
440	35	32	31	35
430	31	30	26	30
420	28	27	23	27
410	26	24	20	23
400	23	22	18	19
390	20	19	14	15
380	16	17	11	13
370	12	15	9	10
360	10	12	6	8
350	7	10	3	6
340	6	8	2	5
330	4	6	1	4
320	2	5	1	3
310	1	3	1-	3
300	1-	3	1-	2
290	1-	2	1-	2
280	1-	2	1-	1
270	1-	1	1-	1
260	1-	1	1-	1
250	1-	1	1-	1
240	1-	1	1-	1
230	1-	1	1-	1
220	1-	1	1-	1
210	1-	1	1-	1
200	1-	1	1-	1
190	1-	1	1-	1
180	1-	1	1-	1
170	1-	1-	1-	1
160	1-	1-	1-	1-

10th Grade Section Score Percentiles

	Evidence-Based Reading and Writing		Math
Section Score	Nationally Representative Percentiles	User Group Percentiles	Nationally Representative Percentiles	User Group Percentiles
760	99+	99+	99+	99+
750	99+	99+	99+	99+
740	99+	99+	99+	99+
730	99+	99+	99	99
720	99+	99	99	99
710	99	99	99	99
700	99	99	99	99
690	99	98	98	99
680	98	98	98	98
670	98	97	97	98
660	97	96	97	98
650	97	95	96	98
640	96	94	96	97
630	95	93	95	97
620	93	92	95	96
610	92	91	94	96
600	90	89	92	95
590	89	87	91	94
580	87	86	89	92
570	85	84	86	91
560	82	81	84	89
550	79	79	82	87
540	76	77	79	85
530	73	74	76	82
520	70	71	72	80
510	66	68	69	77
500	63	65	66	74
490	59	62	62	70
480	56	59	57	67
470	53	56	52	62
460	49	53	49	59
450	46	50	46	54
440	43	46	40	49
430	39	43	36	44
420	36	40	31	40
410	32	36	26	35
400	28	33	23	29
390	24	29	19	24
380	21	26	15	20
370	17	23	12	16
360	13	19	10	13
350	10	16	7	10
340	7	13	5	8
330	5	10	3	7
320	3	7	2	5
310	2	6	2	4
300	1	4	1	3
290	1-	3	1	3
280	1-	3	1-	2
270	1-	2	1-	2
260	1-	2	1-	2
250	1-	2	1-	2
240	1-	1	1-	1
230	1-	1	1-	1
220	1-	1	1-	1
210	1-	1	1-	1
200	1-	1	1-	1
190	1-	1	1-	1
180	1-	1	1-	1
170	1-	1	1-	1
160	1-	1-	1-	1-

PSAT Academic Benchmark Scores

In addition to percentiles, the PSAT Score Report also includes Academic Benchmarks, which indicate whether a test-taker’s score is on grade level and progressing toward college readiness. 11th graders, after all, should have higher PSAT scores than 10th graders since they’ve been exposed to more math and reading/writing.

The College Board releases the following Academic Benchmarks for the PSAT. According to The College Board, green indicates the score “meets or exceeds” the mark, yellow indicates the score is “approaching”  the benchmark, and red means the score is “not yet approaching” the benchmark.

SAT Section Benchmarks

200–800 Point Scale (480 EBRW and 530 Math Benchmarks)

	Not Yet Approaching (Formerly Red)	Approaching (Formerly Yellow)	Meets/Exceeds (Formerly Green)
Reading and Writing	200–450	460–470	480–800
Math	200–500	510–520	530–800

11th Grade Benchmarks

160–760 Point Scale (460 EBRW and 510 Math Benchmarks)

	Not Yet Approaching (Formerly Red)	Approaching (Formerly Yellow)	Meets/Exceeds (Formerly Green)
Reading and Writing	160–420	430–450	460–760
Math	160–470	480–500	510–760

10th Grade Benchmarks

160–760 Point Scale (430 EBRW and 480 Math Benchmarks)

	Not Yet Approaching (Formerly Red)	Approaching (Formerly Yellow)	Meets/Exceeds (Formerly Green)
Reading and Writing	160–400	410–420	430–760
Math	160–440	450–470	480–760

What PSAT Score Earns National Merit?

The National Merit Scholarship Corporation uses the Selection Index score to select National Merit Scholarship semifinalists. The Selection Index is calculated by combining a student’s EBRW and Math scores from the 48-228 scale published in the Score Report. 

In most years, to secure a National Merit semifinalist nod, a test-taker must score in the 99th percentile of all test-takers in that administration, though it varies by the state where the student lives.

Do Elite Colleges Ask for PSAT Scores?

Elite colleges do not ask for PSAT scores. Therefore, there’s no need to feel anxious when taking the PSAT. A student’s PSAT score, whether good or bad, will not affect their chances of admission to elite universities, as the score is not submitted to colleges. Even a top score will not significantly impact one’s admission to elite universities. The awards one can earn from a top score, including National Merit, are not considered crucial in the highly selective college admissions process.

That said, we at Ivy Coach like when students list National Merit among their honors on their Common Application because — whether it’s the case or not — it implies that students did not need a lot of fancy tutoring to land their top SAT (or ACT) score. Instead, the test likely came naturally to them. Of course, this is only sometimes the case since students can get tutoring before the PSAT to boost their scores, but this is the message delivered to admissions officers.