PSAT Scores Available to Students: Here's Your Score Guide

The Princeton Review Guide to Your New PSAT Scores

(To receive a FREE 30 minute Score Consultation with The Princeton Review, click HERE.)

You just received your PSAT score report, and there are a zillion different scores on this thing! How did you do, and which scores are most important? Here's what you need to know about the most important parts of your score report.

Scores That Pack a Punch

Scores You Can Scan

Next Step: Take the Real Thing

The first thing to remember is the PSAT isn’t used for college admissions, but high scores can earn you scholarship dollars, including a National Merit Scholarship. Additionally, your PSAT scores are a good predictor for how you may score on the SAT, which will be very important for college admissions and scholarships.

The Big 3 Scores

When you take the SAT, schools will be looking at your:

Total Score
Reading & Writing Score
Math Score

The PSAT is scored on the same rubric, but a slightly different scale, as the real SAT. While the new SAT is scored on a scale of 400–1600, the PSAT is scored on a scale of 320–1520.

National Percentile

The percentile compares the score of everyone who took the PSAT during a particular test date. For example, students who score in the 90 thpercentile scored higher than 90% of the students who took the PSAT on that particular administration.

Understanding New PSAT Scoring

Here's a quick breakdown of what's important about your Big 3 Scores.

Score	What is it?	Why it's important
TOTAL SCORE	Sum of your two section scores Score range: 320–1520	Your total score can help you predict how you may score on the SAT. Use the percentile to see how you rank against other test-takers. High scores and percentiles earn National Merit recognition.
READING & WRITING SCORE	1 of 2 section scores Score range: 160—760	See which section you’re acing and where you might need more prep. Use the percentile to see how you rank against other test-takers.
MATH SCORE	1 of 2 section scores Score range: 160—760

For a breakdown of the (many) other scores on your score report, check out Scores You Can Scan.

Using Your PSAT Score Report

The PSAT is all about practice. Use your PSAT score report to identify your strengths and weaknesses, so you know what to work on as you prep for the real thing. Are there algebra concepts you need to review? Did you miss picking up points because you ran out of time? Though the PSAT is on a slightly different scale than the New SAT, you can also use your PSAT Total Score to help predict how you could score on the New SAT.

What could you score on the New SAT?

The PSAT and SAT are scored on slightly different scales. Enter your PSAT score and we'll translate it into the equivalent new SAT score.

To receive a FREE 30 minute Score Consultation with The Princeton Review, click HERE

Submitted by Ridgefield, CT

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