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.

But, as we’ll discuss in this post, the PSAT, which is now digital and shorter than in previous years 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 what kind of PSAT score is worthy of National Merit awards. So let’s dive in!

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, and your total is the sum of both sections. Your overall PSAT score range is 320-1520.

For example, a student who scores a 660 on the EBRW section and a 730 on the Math section has a total PSAT score of 1390.

Students also receive section scores on a scale of 8-38. These scores are used to formulate a Section Index Score, which the National Merit Scholarship Corporation uses to determine if a student qualifies for semifinalist recognition.

PSAT Scores vs. SAT Scores

The PSAT’s score ranges differ from the SAT’s score ranges. For the SAT, which is also 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 on that administration. If a student is in the 65th percentile, they scored equal to or better than 65% of all test-takers on that administration.

10th and 11th Grade Total Score Percentiles

Total Score	Nationally Representative Percentiles – 10th Grade	User Group Percentiles – 10th Grade	Nationally Representative Percentiles – 11th Grade	User Group Percentiles – 11th Grade
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	97
1410	99	99	99	97
1400	99	99	99	97
1390	99	99	99	96
1380	99	99	99	96
1370	99	99	99	95
1360	99	98	98	95
1350	98	98	98	94
1340	98	98	98	94
1330	98	98	97	93
1320	98	98	97	93
1310	97	97	97	92
1300	97	97	96	91
1290	97	97	96	90
1280	97	96	95	90
1270	96	96	95	89
1260	96	95	94	88
1250	95	95	94	87
1240	95	94	93	86
1230	94	94	92	85
1220	94	93	92	84
1210	93	92	91	82
1200	92	91	90	81
1190	91	91	89	80
1180	91	90	88	78
1170	90	89	87	77
1160	89	88	86	76
1150	88	87	85	74
1140	87	86	84	73
1130	86	85	83	71
1120	84	83	82	69
1110	83	82	81	68
1100	82	81	79	66
1090	81	79	77	64
1080	79	78	76	62
1070	78	76	74	61
1060	76	75	73	59
1050	75	73	70	57
1040	73	72	68	55
1030	71	70	65	53
1020	69	68	63	51
1010	67	67	61	50
1000	65	65	59	48
990	63	63	57	46
980	62	61	55	44
970	60	59	53	42
960	58	57	51	40
950	56	55	48	39
940	54	53	46	37
930	52	52	44	35
920	50	50	42	33
910	48	48	39	32
900	46	46	37	30
890	44	44	35	28
880	42	42	33	27
870	40	40	31	25
860	38	38	29	24
850	36	36	28	22
840	33	34	26	21
830	31	32	24	20
820	28	30	21	18
810	26	28	20	17
800	24	26	18	16
790	22	25	15	14
780	19	23	14	13
770	17	21	12	12
760	15	19	10	11
750	13	17	8	10
740	11	15	8	8
730	9	13	7	7
720	8	12	5	6
710	6	10	3	6
700	5	9	2	5
690	4	7	2	4
680	3	6	1	3
670	2	5	1	3
660	2	4	-1	2
650	1	4	-1	2
640	1	3	-1	2
630	1	2	-1	1
620	1	2	-1	1
610	-1	2	-1	1
600	-1	1	-1	1
590	-1	1	-1	1
580	-1	1	-1	1
570	-1	1	-1	-1
560	-1	1	-1	-1
550	-1	1	-1	-1
540	-1	1	-1	-1
530	-1	1	-1	-1
520	-1	-1	-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

Section Score	Nationally Representative Percentiles – EBRW	User Group Percentiles – EBRW	Nationally Representative Percentiles – Math	User Group Percentiles – Math
760	99	99	99	99
750	99	99	99	99
740	99	99	99	98
730	99	99	99	97
720	99	98	99	97
710	99	97	98	96
700	99	96	98	95
690	99	95	97	95
680	99	93	97	94
670	98	92	96	93
660	97	90	95	93
650	96	88	95	92
640	95	86	94	91
630	93	84	93	89
620	91	81	92	88
610	90	79	91	86
600	88	76	90	84
590	86	73	88	82
580	85	70	86	79
570	82	67	83	76
560	80	64	81	73
550	77	61	77	70
540	74	58	73	67
530	71	54	69	63
520	67	51	65	60
510	63	47	62	56
500	60	44	58	53
490	55	41	54	49
480	50	37	49	45
470	46	35	43	41
460	42	32	40	37
450	39	29	37	33
440	35	26	31	29
430	31	24	26	25
420	28	22	23	22
410	26	19	20	20
400	23	17	18	16
390	20	15	14	13
380	16	13	11	11
370	12	11	9	9
360	10	9	6	6
350	7	7	3	5
340	6	5	2	4
330	4	4	1	3
320	2	3	1	2
310	1	2	-1	2
300	-1	1	-1	1
290	-1	1	-1	1
280	-1	1	-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

Section Score	Nationally Representative Percentiles – EBRW	User Group Percentiles – EBRW	Nationally Representative Percentiles – Math	User Group Percentiles – Math
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	98
690	99	98	98	98
680	98	98	98	98
670	98	97	97	98
660	97	96	97	97
650	97	95	96	97
640	96	94	96	96
630	95	93	95	96
620	93	91	95	95
610	92	90	94	94
600	90	88	92	93
590	89	86	91	91
580	87	84	89	90
570	85	81	86	88
560	82	79	84	86
550	79	76	82	83
540	76	73	79	81
530	73	70	76	78
520	70	67	72	75
510	66	64	69	72
500	63	60	66	69
490	59	57	62	65
480	56	54	57	61
470	53	50	52	57
460	49	47	49	53
450	46	44	46	48
440	43	41	40	43
430	39	38	36	38
420	36	35	31	35
410	32	31	26	31
400	28	28	23	26
390	24	25	19	22
380	21	22	15	18
370	17	19	12	15
360	13	16	10	11
350	10	12	7	9
340	7	9	5	7
330	5	7	3	5
320	3	5	2	4
310	2	3	2	3
300	1	2	1	2
290	-1	2	1	2
280	-1	1	-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

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 “within a year of academic growth,” and red indicates the score is below the mark by more than a year of academic growth.”

SAT Section Benchmarks

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

Evidence-Based Reading and Writing	200–450 (Red)	460–470 (Yellow)	480–800 (Green)
Math	200–500 (Red	510–520 (Yellow)	530–800 (Green)

11th Grade Benchmarks

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

Evidence-Based Reading and Writing	160–420 (Red)	430–450 (Yellow)	460–760 (Green)
Math	160–470 (Red)	480–500 (Yellow)	510–760 (Green)

10th Grade Benchmarks

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

Evidence-Based Reading and Writing	160–400 (Red)	410–420 (Yellow)	430–760 (Green)
Math	160–440 (Red)	450–470 (Yellow)	480–760 (Green)

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 8-38 scale published in the Score Report. That figure is then doubled, so it should fall within a 48-228 range.

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

Do Elite Colleges Ask for PSAT Scores?

Elite colleges do not ask for PSAT scores. As such, there’s nothing to be nervous about when taking the PSAT. A bad PSAT score will not hurt a student’s case for admission to elite universities since the score is not submitted to colleges. Likewise, a top score will have a negligible impact on one’s case for admission to elite universities. After all, the awards one can earn from a top score, including National Merit, are not considered difference-makers 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.