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PSAT Score Calculator

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The scaled section score on your score report, 160 to 760.

The scaled section score on your score report, 160 to 760.

Total PSAT score —
NMSC Selection Index
—
Reading and Writing counted twice
—
Gap between sections
—
Stronger section
—
Share of 1520 maximum
—
Selection Index on its 48–228 range
The chart appears with your result

Your PSAT total is the Reading and Writing section score plus the Math section score, on a 320–1520 scale. The National Merit Selection Index doubles Reading and Writing, adds Math and divides by 10. For example, 700 RW and 690 Math give a 1390 total and an index of (1400 + 690) ÷ 10 = 209.

About this tool

Juniors who sit the PSAT/NMSQT usually care about two numbers: the total score colleges and counselors talk about, and the Selection Index that the National Merit Scholarship Corporation uses to name Commended Students and Semifinalists. This calculator takes the two scaled section scores from your report, each between 160 and 760, and returns both. It also shows which section is stronger, how far apart they are, and where the index sits on its 48–228 range. Because Reading and Writing is counted twice in the index, two students with the same total can land 20 or more index points apart. One limit: state Semifinalist cutoffs change every year and are published only after scores are out, so the calculator does not predict qualification.

How to use it

  1. Set Reading and Writing

    Move the slider or type the section score from your report, from 160 to 760 in steps of 10.

  2. Set Math

    Enter the Math section score the same way.

  3. Read the total and index

    The total and Selection Index update as you type, with the working shown below them.

  4. Check the scale

    The chart places your index on the 48–228 range so you can see how near the top band it is.

Examples

Perfect 760 and 760

Reading and Writing section score
760
Math section score
760

Result Total PSAT score: 1,520
NMSC Selection Index: 228
Reading and Writing counted twice: 1,520
Gap between sections: 0
Stronger section: Even
Share of 1520 maximum: 100%

  1. Total score = 760 + 760 = 1520 (scale 320 to 1520)
  2. Selection Index = (2 × 760 + 760) ÷ 10 = 2280 ÷ 10 = 228
  3. Share of the 1520 maximum = 1520 ÷ 1520 = 100%

Two top section scores give the 1520 maximum and the highest possible Selection Index of 228.

700 RW, 690 Math

Reading and Writing section score
700
Math section score
690

Result Total PSAT score: 1,390
NMSC Selection Index: 209
Reading and Writing counted twice: 1,400
Gap between sections: 10
Stronger section: Reading and Writing
Share of 1520 maximum: 91.4%

  1. Total score = 700 + 690 = 1390 (scale 320 to 1520)
  2. Selection Index = (2 × 700 + 690) ÷ 10 = 2090 ÷ 10 = 209
  3. Share of the 1520 maximum = 1390 ÷ 1520 = 91.4%

A 1390 total; doubling the 700 gives 1400, plus 690 is 2090, so the index is 209.

450 RW, 650 Math

Reading and Writing section score
450
Math section score
650

Result Total PSAT score: 1,100
NMSC Selection Index: 155
Reading and Writing counted twice: 900
Gap between sections: 200
Stronger section: Math
Share of 1520 maximum: 72.4%

  1. Total score = 450 + 650 = 1100 (scale 320 to 1520)
  2. Selection Index = (2 × 450 + 650) ÷ 10 = 1550 ÷ 10 = 155
  3. Share of the 1520 maximum = 1100 ÷ 1520 = 72.4%

The same 1100 total as 650 RW and 450 Math would give, but an index of 155 instead of 175, because Reading and Writing counts twice.

How it is calculated

Total = RW + M; Selection Index = (2 × RW + M) ÷ 10

RW
Reading and Writing section score, 160–760
M
Math section score, 160–760

Since the PSAT went digital, each section is reported on a 160–760 scale in multiples of 10, so the total runs from 320 to 1520. NMSC weights verbal skills more heavily when it ranks entrants: the Selection Index adds Reading and Writing twice and Math once, then divides by 10, which gives a range of 48 to 228. Raw-question counts are converted to section scores by College Board with an adaptive model, so this tool starts from the scaled scores rather than counts of correct answers.

When not to use it

  • It cannot turn a count of correct answers into a section score; the digital test is adaptive.
  • It cannot predict if you qualify as a Semifinalist in your state.
  • It is not built for the PSAT 8/9 or PSAT 10 ranges used for National Merit.

Common mistakes

  • Adding the two section scores and dividing by 10 instead of doubling Reading and Writing first.
  • Comparing a percentile from the score report with a Selection Index cutoff.
  • Typing a section score that is not a multiple of 10, which no PSAT report shows.

Frequently asked questions

Why does Reading and Writing count twice in the Selection Index?

The index was designed when the paper PSAT had separate reading, writing and math scores, each weighted equally. When reading and writing merged into one section, NMSC kept the same balance by doubling it, so verbal skills still make up two-thirds of the index.

What Selection Index do Semifinalists usually need?

Cutoffs are set state by state each year and have often fallen roughly between 207 and 223 in recent cycles, with the Commended level a little lower. NMSC publishes them after scores are released, so treat any figure before then as an estimate.

Is a PSAT total directly comparable to an SAT total?

The two scales are built to line up, but the PSAT tops out at 1520 while the SAT goes to 1600. College Board describes the PSAT score as an indication of how a student might do on the SAT taken at the same time.

Can two students with the same total have different indexes?

Yes. A 650 RW and 450 Math give 1100 and an index of 175, while 450 RW and 650 Math give the same 1100 but an index of 155.

Where do I find my section scores?

They appear on the online score report in BigFuture or from your school counselor, listed under Reading and Writing and Math. Use those scaled numbers, not the percentiles shown next to them.

Does the PSAT 10 count for National Merit?

No. Only the PSAT/NMSQT taken in the fall, usually in grade 11, is the qualifying test. The PSAT 10 uses the same scale, so the total here still works for it, but the index has no scholarship use.

Cite this tool

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APA

Tools Directory Editorial Team. (2026, October 21). PSAT Score Calculator. Tools Directory. Retrieved October 26, 2026, from https://tools.milunir.com/education/student-tools-misc/psat-score-calculator/

MLA

Tools Directory Editorial Team. “PSAT Score Calculator.” Tools Directory, 21 Oct. 2026, https://tools.milunir.com/education/student-tools-misc/psat-score-calculator/. Accessed 26 Oct. 2026.

Chicago

Tools Directory Editorial Team. “PSAT Score Calculator.” Tools Directory. Last modified October 21, 2026. Accessed October 26, 2026. https://tools.milunir.com/education/student-tools-misc/psat-score-calculator/.

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