Are you planning on taking the 2025 PSAT and wondering what score to aim for or what a "good" PSAT score is? Have you received your score report but can't make sense of all the information it includes? We're here to help!
Read on to learn everything you need to know about 2025 PSAT scores, including what a good score is, what score you'll need to meet National Merit cutoffs, and what PSAT score you'll need to impress colleges.
When Is the 2025 PSAT?
The PSAT date range for 2025 is October 1-31. The Saturday PSAT dates are October 11 and October 18.
Scores will be available to students beginning in mid-December. Exactly when you're able to see your scores online will depend on the state you live in.
The PSAT costs $18 per student, but many high schools cover all or part of this fee. To learn more about signing up for the upcoming PSAT, check out the College Board's guide to PSAT registration.
What Will You See on Your 2025 PSAT Score Report?
Before diving into what a good PSAT score for 2025 is, let's go over how PSAT scoring works and what you'll see on your PSAT score report.
The 2025 PSAT uses a digital format with multistage adaptive testing, which means the test adapts to your performance. Your score report will include several key pieces of information:
Main Score Components
- Total Score (320-1520) - The sum of your two section scores
- Section Scores (160-760 each)
- Reading and Writing
- Math
- Selection Index Score (48-228) - Used for National Merit qualification
- Percentiles - Show how you compare to other test takers
- Score Ranges - Show the range of scores you might receive if you took the test multiple times under identical conditions
- Knowledge and Skills - Performance in eight content domains (four in Reading and Writing, four in Math)
- Career Insights Snapshot - Growing careers in your state that connect to your scores
You can access your scores through the BigFuture School app (if you're 13 or older and provided a mobile number), through your school's downloadable PDF score report, or through your personal College Board account.
Total Score
The biggest and most obvious number on your score report is your overall scaled PSAT score. This is probably the piece of data you'll be most interested in.
The PSAT is scored on a scale of 320-1520 in 10-point increments. 1520 is the max score you can get (this is different than the SAT, where the highest possible score is 1600).
Your total PSAT score out of 1520 is the sum of your scaled section scores for Math and Reading and Writing. Half of your total score is from the Math section, and the other half is from Reading and Writing.
Section Scores
Along with your total score, you'll get two scaled section scores, one each for Math and Reading and Writing. Each section is scored on a scale of 160-760 in 10-point increments.
Selection Index Score
The Selection Index is the only score that is unique to the PSAT and not found on SAT score reports. This is the score used by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC) to determine who qualifies for the National Merit scholarship competition. The Selection Index has a range of 48-228. We'll cover more about how its calculated below.
Percentiles
PSAT percentiles show you how you did on the test compared to other test takers. The percentage listed on your score report tells you what percentage of test takers you scored better than on the exam. The higher your percentile, the better you performed relative to other test takers. For example, if you scored in the 70th percentile, this would mean that you did better than 70% of other students who took the PSAT.
Which PSAT Scores Are Most Important?
When you get your PSAT score report, which numbers should you be paying most attention to?
The most important data on your PSAT score report is your total score and section scores. These are the scores that give you the best sense of how you're likely to score on the SAT. As a reminder, the PSAT score range is 320-1520 overall and 160-760 for Math and Reading and Writing. Because Math and Reading and Writing each make up 50% of your total 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.
Speaking of National Merit, the score used for this competition isn't actually your total score but your Selection Index. The Selection Index is two times your Reading and Writing score plus your Math divided by 10. Each state has its own Selection Index score cutoff to determine which test takers qualify as Commended Students and which qualify as Semifinalists. Cutoffs vary slightly each testing year.
The top 0.5% or so of test takers in each state go on to become Semifinalists, with the potential of becoming Finalists and eventually winning the scholarship. Only juniors who take the PSAT are eligible for National Merit; sophomores aren't eligible.
What's a Good PSAT Score for 2025?
Now that you have all that information, how can you use it to know what a good PSAT score is? There are actually three primary ways you can define a good PSAT score:
- Using national PSAT percentiles
- 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
Which measurement you choose will depend on your own personal PSAT goals. Let's dive more into each of these methods.
What's a Good 2025 PSAT Score Based on Percentiles?
Percentiles tell you what percentage of test takers you scored higher than, both on the test as a whole and on a particular section.
Generally, PSAT scores above the 50th percentile can be considered good or above average, since you scored higher than the majority of test takers. 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.
To become a National Merit Semifinalist, you'll need to score in the 99th percentile, which is the highest percentile possible. (Just to be clear, a 99th percentile score does not necessarily mean you got a perfect PSAT score of 1520—though it can.)
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 (based on 11th grade user percentiles). You can view the full list of current PSAT percentiles on the College Board's website.
| PSAT Percentile | Math | Reading and Writing | Total |
| 99th (Best) | 760 | 740 and above | 1430 and above |
| 90th (Excellent) | 630 | 660 | 1270 |
| 75th (Very Good) | 550-560 | 580-590 | 1130-1140 |
| 50th (Good/Average) | 470-480 | 500 | 970-980 |
| 25th (Below Average) | 420-430 | 410-420 | 830 |
| 10th (Poor) | 360-370 | 350 | 730 |
| 1st (Poorest) | 260 and below | 250 and below | 520 and below |
As you can see, you'll need to score at least 980 overall to get what would generally be considered a good PSAT score for 2025. This puts you squarely in the 50th percentile.
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.
Also, you might have noticed that the PSAT scores you need to reach certain percentiles on the two sections differ slightly. Math is the more competitive section, as it requires you to get a higher score in order to get into those ultra-high percentiles. As the table indicates, you'd need perfect Math score to get in the 99th percentile, whereas you'd only need 740+ to get in the same percentile on Reading and Writing.
Interestingly, this trend shifts the lower you go in scores. So for Reading and Writing, you'd need a slightly higher score to get into the 75th and 90th percentiles than you'd need for the same percentiles on Math.
What's a Good 2025 PSAT Score Based on National Merit?
The National Merit Scholarship Program, which is managed by the NMSC, gives special recognition and scholarship money to juniors who earn high scores on the PSAT.
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.
As mentioned above, the NMSC uses the Selection Index to determine which students qualify for National Merit recognition. Each state will then determine its own Selection Index score cutoff for eligibility; this cutoff varies slightly every year.
Before we look at these cutoff scores, let's quickly review how to find your Selection Index.
How to Calculate Your Selection Index Score
The Selection Index is calculated using your Reading and Writing and Math section scores and the following formula:
2 x Reading and Writing + Math ÷ 10
As an example, say you got a 620 on Reading and Writing and a 500 on Math. Here's how you'd calculate your Selection Index:
Step 1: Double the Reading and Writing score
620 × 2 = 1,240
Step 2: Add the Math score
1,240 + 500 = 1,740
Step 3: Divide by 10
1,740 ÷ 10 = 174
So your Selection Index would be 174.
Whether a Selection Index of 174 will qualify you for National Merit will depend on what your state's cutoff is. Keep reading for the full list of current state cutoff scores.
Qualifying PSAT Scores for National Merit by State
The table below shows the Selection Index score you’ll need to qualify for National Merit in every US state. Although the NMSC does not give out a full list of PSAT National Merit cutoffs, they do tell you what your own state’s cutoff is. As a result, this chart of cutoffs was put together using crowd-sourced data from students all around the country.
The data below is for students who took the PSAT in October 2024. It’s possible that the score cutoffs for 2025 will change slightly, but for now you can use this data to get a sense of what to aim for. You can also confirm your own state’s cutoff by calling the NMSC at (847) 866-5100.
Here is the full list of Selection Index score cutoffs for National Merit:
| State | PSAT Cutoff for National Merit Semifinalist |
| Alabama | 214 |
| Alaska | 215 |
| Arizona | 218 |
| Arkansas | 215 |
| California | 224 |
| Colorado | 219 |
| Connecticut | 223 |
| Delaware | 220 |
| DC | 225 |
| Florida | 219 |
| Georgia | 220 |
| Hawaii | 219 |
| Idaho | 215 |
| Illinois | 222 |
| Indiana | 218 |
| Iowa | 214 |
| Kansas | 216 |
| Kentucky | 214 |
| Louisiana | 216 |
| Maine | 217 |
| Maryland | 224 |
| Massachusetts | 225 |
| Michigan | 220 |
| Minnesota | 219 |
| Mississippi | 213 |
| Missouri | 217 |
| Montana | 213 |
| Nebraska | 214 |
| Nevada | 214 |
| New Hampshire | 219 |
| New Jersey | 225 |
| New Mexico | 210 |
| New York | 223 |
| North Carolina | 220 |
| North Dakota | 210 |
| Ohio | 219 |
| Oklahoma | 212 |
| Oregon | 219 |
| Pennsylvania | 221 |
| Rhode Island | 219 |
| South Carolina | 215 |
| South Dakota | 211 |
| Tennessee | 219 |
| Texas | 222 |
| Utah | 213 |
| Vermont | 216 |
| Virginia | 224 |
| Washington | 224 |
| West Virginia | 210 |
| Wisconsin | 215 |
| Wyoming | 210 |
| Average Score | 218 |
Source: Compass Prep
On average, PSAT test takers in the Class of 2026 will most likely need a Selection Index of at least 218 to qualify for National Merit Semifinalist status.
The places with the highest cutoffs of 225 are:
- District of Columbia
- Massachusetts
Because the highest possible Selection Index is 228, you'd need very high section scores to earn a 225. For example, 740 on Reading and Writing and 740 on Math would give you: (740 × 2) + 740 ÷ 10 = 222.
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 2 to 4 points higher than your state's predicted cutoff score. Score cutoffs can change slightly each year depending on how test takers do, and have generally been trending upwards. Overshooting a bit ensures these small variations will have less of an impact on your National Merit status.
Setting a PSAT Goal Score for National Merit
How can you find the section scores you need to qualify for National Merit? You'll need to work backwards from your state's Selection Index cutoff.
Step 1: Take your state's Selection Index cutoff and multiply by 10
Step 2: Decide how to split the total between Reading and Writing (which counts double) and Math
For example, say you live in Texas, where the Selection Index score cutoff is currently 219. Just to be on the safe side, you will want to aim a little higher than this—let's say 222.
First, multiply 222 by 10: 222 × 10 = 2,220
Now you need section scores where: (Reading and Writing × 2) + Math = 2,220
Keep in mind that the Reading and Writing is weighted more heavily than the Math. Here are some possible combinations:
- Reading and Writing: 740, Math: 740 → (740 × 2) + 740 = 2,220
- Reading and Writing: 760, Math: 700 → (760 × 2) + 700 = 2,220
- Reading and Writing: 700, Math: 760 → (700 × 2) + 760 = 2,160
Not all test takers are equally good at math and verbal questions, so you might want to go for a slightly higher or lower score on one section.
What's most important is that your scores add up to your target when using the formula: (Reading and Writing × 2) + Math = Target Number. Try to set realistic goals for yourself based on your own strengths and weaknesses.
What's a Good 2025 PSAT Score Based on Your Colleges?
The third and final way you can determine a "good" PSAT score is to look at the SAT scores you'll eventually need to get accepted to your dream college(s). The PSAT is designed to be a practice SAT, so the score you get on this test is meant to be a predictor of what you'll later get on the SAT (should you not do any additional studying in-between the two tests—but, of course, we recommend studying!).
You can use your PSAT score as a baseline score to get a sense of where you're currently scoring on the SAT and to figure out which skills you might need to work on in the meantime so you'll wind up hitting your SAT goal score.
You can then use your PSAT results to help you create an SAT study plan.
For example, if you got a 1280 on the PSAT but will need a 1400 for the SAT, you're going to have to improve your score by at least 120 points.
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:
- 0-30 point improvement: 10 hours
- 30-70 point improvement: 20 hours
- 70-130 point improvement: 40 hours
- 130-200 point improvement: 80 hours
- 200-330 point improvement: 150 hours+
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. This is because the PSAT is slightly easier than the SAT.
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. 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.
Summary: Good PSAT Scores 2025
For the 2025 PSAT, you'll take the test in October and get your scores back mid-December. 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!). Students aiming for National Merit should also check the Selection Index score to see if their score is above past years' qualifying scores for their state.
Everyone has their own definition of what a "good" PSAT score is. For some, a good PSAT score is one that's above average. In that case, you'd want to use percentiles to determine what makes a good score on the PSAT. If you're a high-achieving student who has spent time prepping for the PSAT, then a good score for you might mean receiving National Merit distinction. National Merit is extremely competitive and only top scorers across the country get named Commended Scholars and Semifinalists. Before taking the PSAT, you should use the Selection Index cutoff for your state to set your PSAT score goals.
Finally, scoring well on the PSAT can inform how you prep for the SAT. You can set a PSAT score goal based on the SAT score you'll need for your eventual college applications. 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.
