The PSAT/NMSQT total score ranges from 320 to 1520. You receive two section scores, one for Reading and Writing and one for Math, each on a scale of 160 to 760. Those two section scores are simply added together to produce your total. The scale is slightly narrower than the SAT’s 400 to 1600 range, which sometimes confuses students who expect the two tests to match up exactly.
Section Score Scales
Your PSAT score report breaks your performance into two equal halves. The Reading and Writing section is scored from 160 to 760, and the Math section is scored from 160 to 760. Neither section carries more weight than the other in calculating your total. If you scored 550 in Reading and Writing and 580 in Math, your total would be 1130.
Each section score is derived from a raw score (the number of questions you answered correctly) that gets converted through a process called equating, which adjusts for slight differences in difficulty between test versions. There is no penalty for wrong answers, so your raw score is purely a count of correct responses.
Subscores and Cross-Test Scores
Beyond the two main section scores, your report includes several more granular numbers. Subscores measure specific skill areas within Reading and Writing and Math, reported on a scale of 1 to 15. These help you pinpoint strengths and weaknesses at a more detailed level than the section scores alone.
You also receive two cross-test scores: Analysis in History/Social Studies and Analysis in Science. These pull from questions scattered across both the Reading and Writing and Math sections that require analytical thinking in those subject areas. Cross-test scores are reported on a scale of 8 to 38.
How the PSAT 10 and PSAT 8/9 Differ
The PSAT/NMSQT is the version most juniors take in October, but younger students may encounter the PSAT 10 or PSAT 8/9. Each has its own score ceiling to reflect the grade-level content.
- PSAT 10: Total score range of 320 to 1520, identical to the PSAT/NMSQT. Section scores also run 160 to 760.
- PSAT 8/9: Total score range of 240 to 1440, with a lower floor and ceiling because the test covers material appropriate for eighth and ninth graders.
The SAT itself spans 400 to 1600. So the progression from PSAT 8/9 to PSAT 10/NMSQT to SAT gradually widens the scale as the content gets more advanced.
College Readiness Benchmarks
The College Board sets benchmark scores that signal whether a student is on track for college-level coursework. These are section-level thresholds, not total score targets.
For 11th graders taking the PSAT/NMSQT, the benchmarks are 460 in Reading and Writing and 510 in Math. For 10th graders, the bar is slightly lower: 430 in Reading and Writing and 480 in Math. Meeting both benchmarks suggests you have a strong chance of earning at least a C or better in introductory college courses in the corresponding subjects. Falling below a benchmark does not mean you are unprepared; it signals where focused study could help before you take the SAT.
The National Merit Selection Index
For juniors, the PSAT/NMSQT doubles as the qualifying test for the National Merit Scholarship Program. The National Merit Scholarship Corporation uses a Selection Index rather than your raw total score. The formula doubles your Reading and Writing section score, adds your Math section score, then divides by ten. With maximum section scores of 760, the highest possible Selection Index is 228.
Qualifying cutoffs for National Merit Semifinalist status vary by state and change each year, generally landing somewhere between 209 and 223. Your Selection Index appears on your official score report, so you do not need to calculate it yourself.
What Counts as a Good Score
A “good” score depends on your goals. The median PSAT/NMSQT total typically falls around 920 to 1010 for juniors, so scoring above that range puts you in the upper half nationally. Breaking 1200 generally places you near the top 10 percent, and scores above 1400 are competitive for National Merit recognition.
Because the PSAT is a practice run for the SAT, the most practical way to use your score is as a diagnostic tool. Compare your section scores against the college readiness benchmarks, review your subscores to identify weak areas, and use that information to focus your SAT prep where it will matter most.