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Do colleges look at PSAT scores?

Author

Rachel Ellis

Published Jan 21, 2026

Colleges do not use PSAT scores when making admissions decisions. PSAT scores are used for awarding National Merit Scholarships and some private scholarships. Your performance on the PSAT helps focus your study plan for the SAT. Colleges use PSAT scores as part of their recruitment efforts.

Does it matter what score you get on the PSAT?

Your acceptance or rejection into college is much more dependent on the SAT or ACT , so the short answer is “no,” colleges don't care at all about the PSAT. An abysmal score on the PSAT will not have any direct effect on your chances of getting into a college.

What happens if you do well on the PSAT?

A High PSAT Score Can Lead to a National Merit Scholarship

uses PSAT scores to determine which test-takers will become semifinalists in the National Merit Scholarship Program. You'll be competing against students in your state, and recognition as a winner results in a single-payment monetary award of $2,500.

Is 910 a good PSAT score?

In contrast, an excellent score is one that's higher than the 90th percentile, or 90% of test takers. Based on that reasoning, a good PSAT score for a sophomore is a composite score higher than 1060, an OK score is one higher than 920, and an excellent score is anything higher than 1180.

Is 1390 a good PSAT score?

According to this chart, a good PSAT score for a junior is a composite score higher than 1150, an OK score is one higher than 1000 or 1010, and an excellent score is anything higher than 1280.

35 related questions found

Is 1450 a good PSAT score?

To begin with, the PSAT score range is from 320 to 1520.

The average PSAT score is around 920 (460 in Math and 460 in Evidence-Based Reading and Writing), while an outstanding PSAT score (one that will qualify you as a National Merit Scholarship semi-finalist) is between 1420 and 1480.

What is the average PSAT score for a 11th grader?

The PSAT scores scale makes it so that most test takers score around 920 (the halfway point between 320 and 1520). And the data backs this up: the average PSAT scores are 920 for 10th graders and 1010 for 11th graders. Now, let's look at the PSAT score distribution using percentiles.

Is 1360 a good PSAT score?

Excellent PSAT Scores: 1200-1360

11th-grade students who scored between 1200 and 1360 on the PSAT test fall within the top 10% of all test takers.

What is a good PSAT score 2021?

A very good PSAT score is in the 93rd percentile among users, and the 97th percentile nationally. These percentiles are equivalent to a 1400 on the SAT. If you're a junior this amounts to about a 1330 on your PSAT. If you're a 10th grader, then ideally we want to see you at 1300.

Is 900 a good PSAT score for an 8th grader?

On the PSAT 8/9, 835 was the mean score for eighth grade test-takers, compared with 892 for their ninth grade peers, according to 2020-2021 data from the College Board. The mean score on the PSAT 10 and PSAT/NMSQT was 959 for sophomores and 1044 for juniors.

Is 1090 a good PSAT score for a freshman?

Anything above the 75th percentile is ranked as good. 1200 is a good PSAT score as a freshman. A composite score above 1170 is considered excellent.

What is a good PSAT score 10th grade?

For 10th grade students taking the test (either the PSAT 10 or the PSAT/NMSQT): 99th percentile and above (“outstanding”): 1360–1520. 90th percentile (“great”): 1180. 75th percentile (“solid”): 1060.

What PSAT score is required for Harvard?

But those averages can change depending on the college you're hoping to apply to. For example, the average PSAT score by Harvard admitted students was between 1420 and 1520 (or 210-238 on the old scale). That's a high goal to aim for, to be sure.

What is the average PSAT score for a 9th grader?

In 2015, the national average Total PSAT score for freshmen was 866. For Hall freshmen, the average PSAT score in Reading and Writing was a 492; Math a 477; and a Total PSAT score of 969.

Is 1070 a good PSAT score for an 8th grader?

Scores between 1070 and 1200 correspond to the 75th percentile or better. The 75th PSAT percentile for students taking the PSAT10 may range from 530-540 in each component, for a total score of 1070.

Is 1010 a good PSAT score for an 8th grader?

Most high school students take the PSAT in Grade 10 or 11, or sometimes twice, once in each grade. Overall, good PSAT scores are usually between 950 to 1060. A good PSAT math score is between 500-550, and a good reading and writing score is between 500-550.

What is a perfect PSAT 8 9 Score?

Finally, the PSAT 8/9 has a maximum score of 1440, with values ranging from 120-720 for each "half" of the test (evidence-based reading and writing, plus math). The SAT, in contrast, has a maximum score of 1600. three reasons your PSAT score matters. ]

How do you know if you qualified for National Merit?

To determine who qualifies for National Merit, NMSC uses a scale called the Selection Index. To get this, NMSC adds your Math, Reading, and Writing section scores, which each fall between 8 and 38, and then multiplies that sum by 2. Thus, the PSAT NMSC Selection Index ranges from 48 to 228.

Is 1510 a good PSAT score?

AN EXCELLENT SCORE:

An excellent PSAT score represents the top 1% of test takers, commensurate with at least a 1500-1550 SAT score. On the PSAT this would be between a 1460-1520 as a junior or 1370-1520 as a sophomore.