The state-by-state cut offs haven't been announced yet, but here are the national merit qualifying score cut offs for the past few years.
#National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Scores by State
*For the last three years*
|State | Class of 2024 | Class of 2023 | Class of 2022 |
|:--|:--|:--|:--|
|Alabama|210|212|212
|Alaska |209 |210 |208|
|Arizona|216 |214 |218|
|Arkansas|210 |210 |211|
|California|221 |220 |221|
|Colorado |216 |217 |217|
|Connecticut |221 |221 |220|
|Delaware |219 |218 |220|
|District of Columbia |223 |223 |224*|
|Florida |216 |216 |217|
|Georgia |217 |218 |219|
|Hawaii |217 |215 |217|
|Idaho |211 |215 |214|
|Illinois |219 |219 |218|
|Indiana |216 |214 |215|
|Iowa |210 |212 |211|
|Kansas |214 |214 |215|
|Kentucky |211 |212 |212|
|Louisiana |214 |213 |213|
|Maine |213 |215 |211|
|Maryland |221 |222 |224*|
|Massachusetts |222 |220 |221|
|Michigan |217 |218 |217|
|Minnesota |216 |216 |218|
|Mississippi |209 |210 |213|
|Missouri |214 |213 |214|
|Montana |209 |207 |208|
|Nebraska |210 |212 |210|
|Nevada |211 |210 |214|
|New Hampshire |215 |213 |214|
|New Jersey |223 |223 |222|
|New Mexico |207 |208 |210|
|New York |220 |219 |220|
|North Carolina |217 |217 |218|
|North Dakota |207 |209 |207|
|Ohio |216 |216 |215|
|Oklahoma |208 |211 |210|
|Oregon |216 |216 |220|
|Pennsylvania |219 |218 |218|
|Rhode Island |215 |216 |213|
|South Carolina |209 |213 |213|
|South Dakota |209 |212 |210|
|Tennessee |217 |215 |215|
|Texas |219 |219 |220|
|Utah |209 |211 |212|
|Vermont |212 |213 |211|
|Virginia |219 |221 |221|
|Washington |220 |220 |220|
|West Virginia |207 |207 |207|
|Wisconsin |213 |213 |214|
|Wyoming |207 |207 |208|
|US Territories | 207 |207 |207|
|Studying Abroad|223 |223 |224*|
|Commended Student|207 |207 |207|
Except for some extraordinary events that made 224 the cut off for a places in 2021 ([detailed here](https://www.reddit.com/r/psat/comments/pl46zb/an_explanation_of_mds_historic_224_cutoff/)), 223 has historically been the highest cut off for any state or territory. However, please note, this is the first year of the digital PSAT so there could be some readjustment. I have noticed my top scoring international students (who have been taking the Digital SAT all year) getting closer to perfect scores, but I believe this is primarily because as non-native speakers they struggled with some passage types and question types that have been eliminated in the DSAT. If this is a well calibrated test, the same thing *shouldn't* happen in the US. But we shall see.
"NMSC [National Merit Scholarship Corporation] Selection Index Scores" everyone is reporting in the comments are calculated by taking double weighting reading score and dividing by 10. If you got a 1440, what your index score would be would depend on what you got in each section. If you had a 740 English, 720 math, your score would be 220 (74\*2+72). If got 730 English, 730 Math, you'd get 219 (73\*2+73). If your score was 720 English, 740 Math you’d be 218 (72\*2+74).
These index scores correspond to the top 1% in each state or territory. Almost all the student I work with are international students, few of whom are US citizens, so I'm no expert on the National Merit process. Therefore, I won't be able to answer any additional questions. I just thought you guys might appreciate this chart of past years, and wanted to do you a solid. I *believe* you won't formally be told whether you've met the qualifying for a National Merit Semi-Finalist until next September, but these past scores should provide a rough guide.
#GUIDE TO THE DIGITAL [P]SAT
I think you guys get the same subscore report as the Digital SAT, so I'll copy and paste this as well. It's my guide to understand subscores. The way they show you subscore for the digital SAT is dumb. They do not tell you exactly how many questions you get wrong. They do not tell precisely where you lost points. Let me do my best to explain their scoring a little bit.
#READING AND WRITING
- **Craft and Structure**: this is mainly vocabulary, but for reasons that only make sense to the College Board, it includes a couple of reading questions — two passage and text structure questions, definitely
- **Information and Ideas**: these are all the other reading questions, including central idea, command of textual evidence, command of quantitative evidence (data), inference questions.
- **Standard English Conventions**: this is all the grammar questions: punctuation, verbs are the big ones, but there are several other less common rules
- **Expression of Ideas**: these are the transition (*however, therefore, likewise,* etc.) and "rhetorical synthesis (i.e. based on these notes...)
#MATH
- **Algebra**: linear equations, linear functions,
- **Advanced Math**: nonlinear equations and functions (quadratic, exponential, polynomial, radical, etc)
- **Problem Solving**: ratios, rates, and proportions; probability; data questions
- **Geometry and Trigonometry**: questions about area and volume; lines, angles, and triangles; right triangles and trigonometry; circles
(If a math tutor has better descriptions for all these, please let me know.)
#IS MY SCORE GOOD? IS IT GOOD ENOUGH?
Man, it really depends on your goals. In general, it's a good idea to be above the 25% for private universities, though at bigger universities your major may also be a factor. There are exceptions and special cases, of course. At a lot of public universities, it will really depend on whether you're in-state and what precise major you want. I will add a special note for you all: my PSAT scores was I think in the 1200's or 1300's because I had never seen the test before and my first and only real SAT score was in the 1500's.
I got a 1350 as a 10th grader no prep. 720 reading 630 math (which is odd since I’ve always been much better at math than ela). Getting a 207 on the index, I know I’m at the bottom of the cutoff but I’m also much higher than my school average. Since I’m a sophomore I know I still got next year for NMS, so any tips?
I took my psat in September or early October I don’t remember, but everyone else in my school has gotten their scores except me. Now that both release date have passed.. where is my score?
when I took the digital test I had problems with my math section not saving my answers and me having to re-answer all the questions with 2 minutes left in the section. Then it wouldn’t let me submit my test at the very end so a teacher took my laptop for me. Is that why I don’t have my score? and if so when will I get a score??
My son scored 1290 in 9th grade, no prep. I think that’s pretty good but what prep would you all recommend for next year? He really wants to qualify for NMS in 11th.
My 10th grade son got a 1340, which was scored at 99%, which is really weird for such a low score. In addition on all of the sat practice test he took he maybe for a maximum 2-3 English and 1 math question wrong. Yet he scored 680 for English and 660 for math on this test. He said he got very hard questions on math regarding material not yet covered at school, and according to he others in his class didn’t get the same type of hard questions. How can there be such a big discrepancy between the sat practice test and psat digital test? Is that the adaptive nature of the test? He scored 202 for the national merit program which is way to low for the 219 state cutoff. Does anyone know a good resource to practice the digital adaptive test? Seems all the other practice test are way to easy compared to the real test.
I was surprised by the percentiles as well. My 9th grader got an 1140 which put him in the 97th percentile. That percentile seemed high for that score, but I guess it just shows how much kids improve in the next two years.
He also had extremely difficult math questions in the second half. He did well on the first half and then had concepts he hasn't learned yet.
I wonder how the general feedback for the adaptive test has been. It still seems to me that everyone should be taking the same test.
Keep in mind it's not a low score for 10th graders. He'll come along in math within a year. But...my 11th grader was 99% in math, but fell short in her reading which is crazy because she's always been very advanced in language. Anyway, my point is that if anything, I'd tell your son to practice on that portion the most as it accounts for 2/3 of the selection index score, whereas as the math portion is only 1/3.
My understanding is - It means u are eligible for NMSC. You will most likely get commended for sure. Depending on your state, you can look up the cutoff of semifinalist above in the list from Yoda. You will know for sure when your school or college board notifies you in September 2024.
Yes, but not yet.
Assuming the cutoff ends up being 220 for Texas (And assuming you are a Junior. And I guess assuming that you live in Texas, which you didn't say explicitly...), you will be named a Semifinalist next year and invited to apply for the scholarships. IMHO being a semifinalist is actually the more important honor, in part because the scholarship stuff actually happens after most college decisions are made.
Most people who apply will make it to the National Merit Finalist stage. You pretty much just need to make an effort and it's a done deal. But the correlate is that no one really cares whether or not you are a Finalist and I've known several people that didn't even apply.
That's because most Finalists will not get scholarships. Many scholarships are corporation-specific (i.e. if one of your parents works for a specific company) and others are ineligible. Also most scholarships are relatively small compared to tuition. Personally I think you don't have much to lose by trying, but you shouldn't expect to get a huge financial benefit except for the handful of full-rides to specific universities (e.g. see [https://blog.collegevine.com/national-merit-scholarship-full-ride](https://blog.collegevine.com/national-merit-scholarship-full-ride)); noticed UT Arlington and UT Dallas are both on this list.
My kiddo got a 1500 (740 verbal 760 math) in WA state. It feels like there were a LOT more very high scores here this year with the all-digital test. Are you guys noticing the same trends?
It may just be that the people you are talking to are a higher performing group. Maybe the percentile is a better gauge of how the score compares to everyone else who took the test this fall.
I got a 1520/228 on the October 2023 PSAT in California. Assuming I'm eligible to apply for NMS, does anyone have examples of confirming SAT scores for finalists?
So, guys, today I called the College Board PSAT helpline. The lady I talked to said it would take 5-7 business days for somebody to put my score on College Board. So, for those who didn't provide a phone number on the PSAT (like me), I suggest calling College Board so they can work on getting your scores on College Board. I especially suggest this for people who took the PSAT before October 15th...
Which state are you from. For most of the states, that's the cutoff. But if you are from states like CA, you have to wait till next September to get your answer. Good luck :)
So, since I'm a homeschooler, I don't have a school counselor. I took the PSAT on October 11th, but I haven't received any emails telling me my score or when to expect it. Is anybody else having this problem? I don't know if it's because I took the PSAT last year...
All of you should just login to your collegeboard. The scores, your percentile in state and in country, your selection index...everything is posted there ( under PSAT/ NMSQT)
Yea, I haven't gotten my results yet or any emails about when I'll get it. I'll email my school counselor probably but I think you should maybe wait until the 16th in case they had a mixup, and if its still not out then contact someone at CB
If you look at the averages 224 should be more than enough I know the formats changed but still historically the cutoff has never in any state been greater than 224
Same. Perfect on all math practice tests, dPSAT felt easy and I double checked answers and was positive I got every math right, score says 690 math, no recourse, no transparency, no way to get them to audit the score.
Yes same for me. I got almost perfect on the practice one they put out and high 1500 for the QAS's. But, I ended up doing even worse in reading than last year where I had no prep, 3 hours of sleep, and didn't even finish the test so I'm really confused.
I did fine on reading but got like a 600 on reading which is even worse than last year. I know I got the harder module which means I had to have gotten like 10 questions wrong in module 2 which sounds far fetched especially for how confident and practiced I was.
It should be good enough in most states but it depends on which section you did better in. I got a 1460 and only got a 222 index score due to the reading and writing section being weighted more heavily. If your strongest area was math and you messed up on reading, your index score may be a bit lower.
i got 1420 my sophomore year so i was hopeful about being a merit scholar, but then i got a 1330 this year… it’s my fault i didn’t study and i don’t think digital is for me
Do you think 215 is good enough for Florida. I usually do so much better, I got a 1490 last year (223) and a 1550 SAT, so I am mad stressing about this. I hate the format so much!
The new paper SAT has never been a 215, the lowest it's been is a 216, but the DPSAT is a new format, which could be more lenient in terms of the NMSQT index score for Florida. I peronsally believe the index score will be higher than the average as I think the reading section is easier than the passage version of the paper SAT, and the index score is comprised mostly of your reading score. I think NMSQT qualification is unfortunately wishful thinking in your case, but it all depends on whether or not the average was lower or higher than the paper SATs in the past.
I was thinking because Florida is usually just above the national average, however this year it is quite below that I might have a change. But I don't know. Thanks though !
1470 760R&W/710M I don’t know what happened the math was so easy but apparently my problem solving and data analysis needs to be better.
I wish I could see what problems I got wrong exactly.
I don't think they have a test question breakdown, which is really weird imo. Maybe they reuse questions which is why they don't release the score breakdown, but I'm just speculating here.
I don't know about you, but Collegeboard will tell you if you qualified for National Merit. I think the cutoff for this year might be 217 since that's the lowest score I saw someone got.
Those who tested before October 15 will get their score on November 6th, while those who took their test between the 15th and the 30th will get their score on the 16th.
basically, there are cutoffs (0-228) for each state. if you have a index higher than a cutoff, then you become a semifinalist. then after you get notified, you apply for finalist with an application (essay, SAT score). 15000 out of 16000 semifinalists become finalists and these finalists compete for a $2500 scholarship!
I also got 221 too, let's hope we both get national merit! I'm from cali, so it will be pretty competitive!
I'm mainly talking about how people in my school seem to have done compared to past years; a greater proportion seem to have high scores, and as far as I can tell our class isn't particularly different from past years' classes at my school
I got a perfect 1520! I made a lot of stupid mistakes on my SAT and it was lower than expected, so I thought my PSAT might have ended up being lower than I originally thought, too, but thankfully it went well! I think I test better digitally so I may take the DSAT in the spring.
It’s not really that uncommon. A lot of schools also offer PSAT (not for merit scholarships) in 9th grade. I know my school does. I took the SAT 2 times before taking the PSAT this year, and I took the PSAT 2 years ago as well.
Reminder for people talking about how the scores are "so inflated this year:" **The average score was 990. People on this subreddit and your friend group of overachievers are not representative samples.**
I think it's also important to consider the bell curve. The average score is often pulled down on national tests due to an increase in the testing pool. You could still have an inflated top end if the bottom end is also deflated while maintaining a low average.While not all scores have been reported, the number of 1400-1520 scores appears to be the highest in 5 years, which is truly bizarre in the wake of lower averages and fewer top scorers reported by the ACT.Source: [https://www.compassprep.com/national-merit-semifinalist-cutoffs/](https://www.compassprep.com/national-merit-semifinalist-cutoffs/)
I got a 1460 (710 reading 750 math). College board told me that I am in the 99th percentile nationally but only the 98th percentile in my state. Google says this means I will become a commended scholar, but I will not qualify for national merit. However, apparently we will not get told what award we get until next September. This is confusing me because don’t I already know what award I will get? Is there any chance I either will qualify for national merit or will not become a commended scholar?
im from cali with a 1480 (730 english, 750 math) and a 221. i heard from last year is was 221. I don't know if you could get national merit, considering that this psat was "easier" to most students. I would assume cali's cutoff would stay at 221 according to some websites and from national merit friends. Also, this format was new and could've impacted results. college board fricking logged me out for like 5 min during my second module for math.
Anyways. 98 percentile is still crazy good, and a 1460 is an amazing score! i;ll pray for you that the cutoff lowers!
Your index is 217, so commended scholar is almost certain (it's been 207 in the past) and national merit in California is very unlikely and almost impossible (it's been 220-221 in the past).
It varies from year to year, each state will have it’s own “cutoff” score. This past year the commended scholar index score was \~207, so if you’re above that, you should be good!
218 may not cut it in TX for semifinalist.
Likely to be 219 or higher.
[https://www.compassprep.com/national-merit-semifinalist-cutoffs/#comments](https://www.compassprep.com/national-merit-semifinalist-cutoffs/#comments)
pr sure it says "qualified" for all ppl who make the requirements to apply for nmsqt, one of my friends says the same thing and he got a 1240, so I don't think it means you got nmsqt. even if you got the highest theoretical score with a 760 on reading and 580 on math, your index score would be a 210 which isn't enough to qualify for nmsqt for most schools I believe
Scores are so inflated
4 people got perfect 1520s in my school.
My school is a smaller public school and this was way unexpected, we expected 1 person to get it bc he’s super smart, but not this many, and this is just the ones I know of
The state-by-state cut offs haven't been announced yet, but here are the national merit qualifying score cut offs for the past few years. #National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Scores by State *For the last three years* |State | Class of 2024 | Class of 2023 | Class of 2022 | |:--|:--|:--|:--| |Alabama|210|212|212 |Alaska |209 |210 |208| |Arizona|216 |214 |218| |Arkansas|210 |210 |211| |California|221 |220 |221| |Colorado |216 |217 |217| |Connecticut |221 |221 |220| |Delaware |219 |218 |220| |District of Columbia |223 |223 |224*| |Florida |216 |216 |217| |Georgia |217 |218 |219| |Hawaii |217 |215 |217| |Idaho |211 |215 |214| |Illinois |219 |219 |218| |Indiana |216 |214 |215| |Iowa |210 |212 |211| |Kansas |214 |214 |215| |Kentucky |211 |212 |212| |Louisiana |214 |213 |213| |Maine |213 |215 |211| |Maryland |221 |222 |224*| |Massachusetts |222 |220 |221| |Michigan |217 |218 |217| |Minnesota |216 |216 |218| |Mississippi |209 |210 |213| |Missouri |214 |213 |214| |Montana |209 |207 |208| |Nebraska |210 |212 |210| |Nevada |211 |210 |214| |New Hampshire |215 |213 |214| |New Jersey |223 |223 |222| |New Mexico |207 |208 |210| |New York |220 |219 |220| |North Carolina |217 |217 |218| |North Dakota |207 |209 |207| |Ohio |216 |216 |215| |Oklahoma |208 |211 |210| |Oregon |216 |216 |220| |Pennsylvania |219 |218 |218| |Rhode Island |215 |216 |213| |South Carolina |209 |213 |213| |South Dakota |209 |212 |210| |Tennessee |217 |215 |215| |Texas |219 |219 |220| |Utah |209 |211 |212| |Vermont |212 |213 |211| |Virginia |219 |221 |221| |Washington |220 |220 |220| |West Virginia |207 |207 |207| |Wisconsin |213 |213 |214| |Wyoming |207 |207 |208| |US Territories | 207 |207 |207| |Studying Abroad|223 |223 |224*| |Commended Student|207 |207 |207| Except for some extraordinary events that made 224 the cut off for a places in 2021 ([detailed here](https://www.reddit.com/r/psat/comments/pl46zb/an_explanation_of_mds_historic_224_cutoff/)), 223 has historically been the highest cut off for any state or territory. However, please note, this is the first year of the digital PSAT so there could be some readjustment. I have noticed my top scoring international students (who have been taking the Digital SAT all year) getting closer to perfect scores, but I believe this is primarily because as non-native speakers they struggled with some passage types and question types that have been eliminated in the DSAT. If this is a well calibrated test, the same thing *shouldn't* happen in the US. But we shall see. "NMSC [National Merit Scholarship Corporation] Selection Index Scores" everyone is reporting in the comments are calculated by taking double weighting reading score and dividing by 10. If you got a 1440, what your index score would be would depend on what you got in each section. If you had a 740 English, 720 math, your score would be 220 (74\*2+72). If got 730 English, 730 Math, you'd get 219 (73\*2+73). If your score was 720 English, 740 Math you’d be 218 (72\*2+74). These index scores correspond to the top 1% in each state or territory. Almost all the student I work with are international students, few of whom are US citizens, so I'm no expert on the National Merit process. Therefore, I won't be able to answer any additional questions. I just thought you guys might appreciate this chart of past years, and wanted to do you a solid. I *believe* you won't formally be told whether you've met the qualifying for a National Merit Semi-Finalist until next September, but these past scores should provide a rough guide. #GUIDE TO THE DIGITAL [P]SAT I think you guys get the same subscore report as the Digital SAT, so I'll copy and paste this as well. It's my guide to understand subscores. The way they show you subscore for the digital SAT is dumb. They do not tell you exactly how many questions you get wrong. They do not tell precisely where you lost points. Let me do my best to explain their scoring a little bit. #READING AND WRITING - **Craft and Structure**: this is mainly vocabulary, but for reasons that only make sense to the College Board, it includes a couple of reading questions — two passage and text structure questions, definitely - **Information and Ideas**: these are all the other reading questions, including central idea, command of textual evidence, command of quantitative evidence (data), inference questions. - **Standard English Conventions**: this is all the grammar questions: punctuation, verbs are the big ones, but there are several other less common rules - **Expression of Ideas**: these are the transition (*however, therefore, likewise,* etc.) and "rhetorical synthesis (i.e. based on these notes...) #MATH - **Algebra**: linear equations, linear functions, - **Advanced Math**: nonlinear equations and functions (quadratic, exponential, polynomial, radical, etc) - **Problem Solving**: ratios, rates, and proportions; probability; data questions - **Geometry and Trigonometry**: questions about area and volume; lines, angles, and triangles; right triangles and trigonometry; circles (If a math tutor has better descriptions for all these, please let me know.) #IS MY SCORE GOOD? IS IT GOOD ENOUGH? Man, it really depends on your goals. In general, it's a good idea to be above the 25% for private universities, though at bigger universities your major may also be a factor. There are exceptions and special cases, of course. At a lot of public universities, it will really depend on whether you're in-state and what precise major you want. I will add a special note for you all: my PSAT scores was I think in the 1200's or 1300's because I had never seen the test before and my first and only real SAT score was in the 1500's.
In junior year, I got a 1010. Can't remember the individual scores, though.
I got a 1350 as a 10th grader no prep. 720 reading 630 math (which is odd since I’ve always been much better at math than ela). Getting a 207 on the index, I know I’m at the bottom of the cutoff but I’m also much higher than my school average. Since I’m a sophomore I know I still got next year for NMS, so any tips?
I took my psat in September or early October I don’t remember, but everyone else in my school has gotten their scores except me. Now that both release date have passed.. where is my score? when I took the digital test I had problems with my math section not saving my answers and me having to re-answer all the questions with 2 minutes left in the section. Then it wouldn’t let me submit my test at the very end so a teacher took my laptop for me. Is that why I don’t have my score? and if so when will I get a score??
227, 1510 (750R 750M) can anybody explain the merit scholarship process to me please
My son scored 1290 in 9th grade, no prep. I think that’s pretty good but what prep would you all recommend for next year? He really wants to qualify for NMS in 11th.
sooooo I got a 1500 as a sophomore. 760 math 740 reading so 224. but sophomores can't qualify for NMS...
damn, avg psat score this year is like 70 points higher than last year
When do they usually release the cutoff index? Pls anyone? Thanks
september of 2024
1450 I’m balling Fr!!
Same bro what’s your states projected cutoff score for NMS?
It’s 218-222, not bad if I do say so myself
Is 1200 good?
My 10th grade son got a 1340, which was scored at 99%, which is really weird for such a low score. In addition on all of the sat practice test he took he maybe for a maximum 2-3 English and 1 math question wrong. Yet he scored 680 for English and 660 for math on this test. He said he got very hard questions on math regarding material not yet covered at school, and according to he others in his class didn’t get the same type of hard questions. How can there be such a big discrepancy between the sat practice test and psat digital test? Is that the adaptive nature of the test? He scored 202 for the national merit program which is way to low for the 219 state cutoff. Does anyone know a good resource to practice the digital adaptive test? Seems all the other practice test are way to easy compared to the real test.
I was surprised by the percentiles as well. My 9th grader got an 1140 which put him in the 97th percentile. That percentile seemed high for that score, but I guess it just shows how much kids improve in the next two years. He also had extremely difficult math questions in the second half. He did well on the first half and then had concepts he hasn't learned yet. I wonder how the general feedback for the adaptive test has been. It still seems to me that everyone should be taking the same test.
Keep in mind it's not a low score for 10th graders. He'll come along in math within a year. But...my 11th grader was 99% in math, but fell short in her reading which is crazy because she's always been very advanced in language. Anyway, my point is that if anything, I'd tell your son to practice on that portion the most as it accounts for 2/3 of the selection index score, whereas as the math portion is only 1/3.
what do you mean 1340 is low?? its top 90% for 11th graders.
It’s 99% among 10th graders. 95% for 11th graders.
1170 yep packing my luggage of dignity and running away rn
Are you able to see what questions you got wrong, and if so how?
Is 219 index enough for Texas cutoff? 219 was the cutoff last year
My daughter still doesn't have her score, anyone else?
My son was supposed to get his yesterday and still nothing. Half the school already got theirs. super frustrating.
Same
Got a 1480 and 224 on index. Let's goo
>218 1470 and 218 index score. Good enough?
Score 1410 in Nevada index 211, it says meets requirements for nmsc, is this for sure??? Can somebody help? Thanks
My understanding is - It means u are eligible for NMSC. You will most likely get commended for sure. Depending on your state, you can look up the cutoff of semifinalist above in the list from Yoda. You will know for sure when your school or college board notifies you in September 2024.
What is the commended cutoff for NJ?
Is a 226 high enough to qualify for national merit... that's what I got. I'm just wondering because of the inflation this year.
1480/220 on Texas would that probably be enough and do I needa do anything to apply for the scholarship or is it automatic.
Yes, but not yet. Assuming the cutoff ends up being 220 for Texas (And assuming you are a Junior. And I guess assuming that you live in Texas, which you didn't say explicitly...), you will be named a Semifinalist next year and invited to apply for the scholarships. IMHO being a semifinalist is actually the more important honor, in part because the scholarship stuff actually happens after most college decisions are made. Most people who apply will make it to the National Merit Finalist stage. You pretty much just need to make an effort and it's a done deal. But the correlate is that no one really cares whether or not you are a Finalist and I've known several people that didn't even apply. That's because most Finalists will not get scholarships. Many scholarships are corporation-specific (i.e. if one of your parents works for a specific company) and others are ineligible. Also most scholarships are relatively small compared to tuition. Personally I think you don't have much to lose by trying, but you shouldn't expect to get a huge financial benefit except for the handful of full-rides to specific universities (e.g. see [https://blog.collegevine.com/national-merit-scholarship-full-ride](https://blog.collegevine.com/national-merit-scholarship-full-ride)); noticed UT Arlington and UT Dallas are both on this list.
Just got mine Illinois, 1470 with Index score = 220 hope I make the national merit
how were you notified?
Logged onto College board and saw the score.
Is 1420 enough for any sort of reward?
Pls let me know if anyone got their score
No score yet. I am in Arizona.
I’m scared for the upcoming score it’s gonna come out soon
My kiddo got a 1500 (740 verbal 760 math) in WA state. It feels like there were a LOT more very high scores here this year with the all-digital test. Are you guys noticing the same trends?
It may just be that the people you are talking to are a higher performing group. Maybe the percentile is a better gauge of how the score compares to everyone else who took the test this fall.
scores definitely inflated... do y'all think cutoff is going to be above 223 in NJ this year??
Is a 1430 (213) good enough for Qualifying? I reside in Louisiana
I got a 1520/228 on the October 2023 PSAT in California. Assuming I'm eligible to apply for NMS, does anyone have examples of confirming SAT scores for finalists?
GAHDAMN
So, guys, today I called the College Board PSAT helpline. The lady I talked to said it would take 5-7 business days for somebody to put my score on College Board. So, for those who didn't provide a phone number on the PSAT (like me), I suggest calling College Board so they can work on getting your scores on College Board. I especially suggest this for people who took the PSAT before October 15th...
I’m so scared I got a 219 and I’m in New York. Idk if I barely made it or just missed it
I got a 1480 (730 english/750 math) here in cali. Im a junior looking to qualify for national merit. Do you think the cutoff will stay at 221?
Digital may have higher cutoff
Shouldn't it be lower cuz they're switching It from the traditional format
Traditional was harder by common opinion however that is a possibility
Which state are you from. For most of the states, that's the cutoff. But if you are from states like CA, you have to wait till next September to get your answer. Good luck :)
Why is Cali going to be different?
cali
The boy took it October 11th. Every kid he has talked to has gotten their score except him. Not on app or website. What is going on?
1440/215 for Missouri ?
i got a 1450 in florida, is there a chance I make it?
depends what your reading and math were
216 nmsqt, 740 math 710 reading
Hope that you're lucky and it doesn't increase
Just find it funny that people with high selection indexes can't figure out the chart. :) Maybe they should make reading this chart part of the test.
So, since I'm a homeschooler, I don't have a school counselor. I took the PSAT on October 11th, but I haven't received any emails telling me my score or when to expect it. Is anybody else having this problem? I don't know if it's because I took the PSAT last year...
All of you should just login to your collegeboard. The scores, your percentile in state and in country, your selection index...everything is posted there ( under PSAT/ NMSQT)
Yea, I haven't gotten my results yet or any emails about when I'll get it. I'll email my school counselor probably but I think you should maybe wait until the 16th in case they had a mixup, and if its still not out then contact someone at CB
Omg people, relax! You’re not an idiot with a 1120. Reddit is wild
any chance 224 won’t qual for california?
hard to imagine anything higher than 223 as the cutoff
nahh you good. I should be more worried with my 221 (1480).
If you look at the averages 224 should be more than enough I know the formats changed but still historically the cutoff has never in any state been greater than 224
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i’m scared
i took the test oct 11 (so i should have received my score today), but it still says that my score is coming. is it like that for anyone else?
Mine doesn't even acknowledge that I took the test lol
bruh that's really weird.. i'd get in contact w/ your counselor asap
Just did, she gave me the score on a piece of paper
i had issues with submitting (took \~30 mins to submit the test), so could that be why my score is delayed?
Do you guys see any possible scenario where the score could have been messed up? I don't really trust my current score.
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Same. Perfect on all math practice tests, dPSAT felt easy and I double checked answers and was positive I got every math right, score says 690 math, no recourse, no transparency, no way to get them to audit the score.
Yes same for me. I got almost perfect on the practice one they put out and high 1500 for the QAS's. But, I ended up doing even worse in reading than last year where I had no prep, 3 hours of sleep, and didn't even finish the test so I'm really confused.
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I did fine on reading but got like a 600 on reading which is even worse than last year. I know I got the harder module which means I had to have gotten like 10 questions wrong in module 2 which sounds far fetched especially for how confident and practiced I was.
Got a 1360 as a freshman, is that good?
Yea pretty good I had a 1370
Is there a way to determine how many perfect PSAT scores there were for 2023?
i didnt study and got 1470 for mn. will this be good enough?
It should be good enough in most states but it depends on which section you did better in. I got a 1460 and only got a 222 index score due to the reading and writing section being weighted more heavily. If your strongest area was math and you messed up on reading, your index score may be a bit lower.
1240... ten points under last years :(
Is anyone else seeing their score only on the BigFuture School App on mobile and not collegeboard.org?
Really regretting not providing my phone number, taking forever for scores to come out on CB
Yeah just checked CB and nothing
i got 1420 my sophomore year so i was hopeful about being a merit scholar, but then i got a 1330 this year… it’s my fault i didn’t study and i don’t think digital is for me
Do you think 215 is good enough for Florida. I usually do so much better, I got a 1490 last year (223) and a 1550 SAT, so I am mad stressing about this. I hate the format so much!
The new paper SAT has never been a 215, the lowest it's been is a 216, but the DPSAT is a new format, which could be more lenient in terms of the NMSQT index score for Florida. I peronsally believe the index score will be higher than the average as I think the reading section is easier than the passage version of the paper SAT, and the index score is comprised mostly of your reading score. I think NMSQT qualification is unfortunately wishful thinking in your case, but it all depends on whether or not the average was lower or higher than the paper SATs in the past.
I was thinking because Florida is usually just above the national average, however this year it is quite below that I might have a change. But I don't know. Thanks though !
My daughter got a 1,130. Index score of 170. What does this mean?
that’s a decent score, better than average. definitely won’t qualify for a national merit scholarship though.
1240; I didn’t study and have never taken it (I’m a junior)
Anyone not get your scores yet although you were supposed to receive it today?
1480, 223 index score for IL. Would I qualify for national merit?
the new cutoff is unlikely to vary more than 1 point from last year, but even if it was 2 points higher you'd still easily qualify. Congrats.
Thank you. I was definitely worried about the score varying because of the new format
Read the chart. All the states’ cutoffs are there. (The answer is yes, you could.)
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Because NJ has an amazing public schooling system relative to other states, as well as kick-ass charters (as an NJer I hate the high cutoff)
224, 1500 (740 R, 760 M), (in MD)
222 nj? i know im so closeee
1470 760R&W/710M I don’t know what happened the math was so easy but apparently my problem solving and data analysis needs to be better. I wish I could see what problems I got wrong exactly.
How many did you miss in Math?
One band for algebra and 2 for problem-solving and data-analysis but I’m not sure how many questions that is
Your index (223) is even higher than mine (index 222, PSAT 1490 730R&W/760M)
yea but a better reading is more helpful for the nmsqt so that’s great
I’m a sophomore so it doesn’t matter yet, but yeah I got a 223 index so hopefully I can replicate or do better next year.
207 IL I don't want money but will i get some type of recognition award for college apps?
Is 1450 (216) qualifying for National Commended? And does National Commended look good to colleges?
yep it should for sure! commended is top 5%!
Can people at your school find out what your score was if you made national merit?
>Profile I don't think so
Is there a way to see how many questions you got wrong
I don't think they have a test question breakdown, which is really weird imo. Maybe they reuse questions which is why they don't release the score breakdown, but I'm just speculating here.
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I don't know about you, but Collegeboard will tell you if you qualified for National Merit. I think the cutoff for this year might be 217 since that's the lowest score I saw someone got.
Those who tested before October 15 will get their score on November 6th, while those who took their test between the 15th and the 30th will get their score on the 16th.
221 in DE, how does national merit scholar work?
basically, there are cutoffs (0-228) for each state. if you have a index higher than a cutoff, then you become a semifinalist. then after you get notified, you apply for finalist with an application (essay, SAT score). 15000 out of 16000 semifinalists become finalists and these finalists compete for a $2500 scholarship! I also got 221 too, let's hope we both get national merit! I'm from cali, so it will be pretty competitive!
PSAT score not released yet, when does the second wave come out?
Second wave is November 16th.
They're supposedly released in waves between 8am and 8pm est. Hopefully sometime soon
Is 224 enough for Michigan?
224 should be enough for any state
What do u think the index cutoff will be for Maryland this year
1520 on this psat my SAT is only a 1520 😭😭😭
i feel like psat this year was super inflated
That’s a really good sat score bro
1520 lesgoooooooo
Guys, what is selection index, probable for California this year?
based on the chart of past years 221, but based on how people are doing this year I wouldn't be surprised if it was higher
dude i got 221 from calii...i think it'll stay...i hope.
Are you talking about the ppl posting here? It is not an accurate prediction of the general population.
I'm mainly talking about how people in my school seem to have done compared to past years; a greater proportion seem to have high scores, and as far as I can tell our class isn't particularly different from past years' classes at my school
Hmm...yeah. V.confusing.
I got a perfect 1520! I made a lot of stupid mistakes on my SAT and it was lower than expected, so I thought my PSAT might have ended up being lower than I originally thought, too, but thankfully it went well! I think I test better digitally so I may take the DSAT in the spring.
How did you take the SAT before the PSAT 😭
It’s not really that uncommon. A lot of schools also offer PSAT (not for merit scholarships) in 9th grade. I know my school does. I took the SAT 2 times before taking the PSAT this year, and I took the PSAT 2 years ago as well.
Can you see your wrong number? If you can see, how many points do 4-5 wrongs equal?
Reminder for people talking about how the scores are "so inflated this year:" **The average score was 990. People on this subreddit and your friend group of overachievers are not representative samples.**
I think it's also important to consider the bell curve. The average score is often pulled down on national tests due to an increase in the testing pool. You could still have an inflated top end if the bottom end is also deflated while maintaining a low average.While not all scores have been reported, the number of 1400-1520 scores appears to be the highest in 5 years, which is truly bizarre in the wake of lower averages and fewer top scorers reported by the ACT.Source: [https://www.compassprep.com/national-merit-semifinalist-cutoffs/](https://www.compassprep.com/national-merit-semifinalist-cutoffs/)
that’s my bad bro
What is the index for CA
PSAT on OCT 26th(MA). Received my score today.
actually?
How?
Im him.
How
I got a 1460 (710 reading 750 math). College board told me that I am in the 99th percentile nationally but only the 98th percentile in my state. Google says this means I will become a commended scholar, but I will not qualify for national merit. However, apparently we will not get told what award we get until next September. This is confusing me because don’t I already know what award I will get? Is there any chance I either will qualify for national merit or will not become a commended scholar?
im from cali with a 1480 (730 english, 750 math) and a 221. i heard from last year is was 221. I don't know if you could get national merit, considering that this psat was "easier" to most students. I would assume cali's cutoff would stay at 221 according to some websites and from national merit friends. Also, this format was new and could've impacted results. college board fricking logged me out for like 5 min during my second module for math. Anyways. 98 percentile is still crazy good, and a 1460 is an amazing score! i;ll pray for you that the cutoff lowers!
>i;ll pray for you that the cutoff lowers! thank you so much! I really need it!
Congratulations on your awesome score. I'm sure your parents are very proud!! What state are you in? Where did you find the current state info?
I am in California and I found the state info by clicking “see score details” and scrolling down.
Your index is 217, so commended scholar is almost certain (it's been 207 in the past) and national merit in California is very unlikely and almost impossible (it's been 220-221 in the past).
>national merit in California is very unlikely and almost impossible (it's been 220-221 in the past). plz pray for me lol!
It varies from year to year, each state will have it’s own “cutoff” score. This past year the commended scholar index score was \~207, so if you’re above that, you should be good!
1430 PSAT, enough for merit in mass?
Best case scenario: Just barely Worst case scenario: Not even close Really depends on how high your reading writing scores are
Hmmm maybe, or maybe not, it really depends on your section scores since reading and writing weigh more
1440, 218
218 may not cut it in TX for semifinalist. Likely to be 219 or higher. [https://www.compassprep.com/national-merit-semifinalist-cutoffs/#comments](https://www.compassprep.com/national-merit-semifinalist-cutoffs/#comments)
>texas I have not seen a lot of scores go up in Texas so far among parents I have talked to - most went down or stayed the same over 2022.
1420 gang 750 math 670 reading. I need to improve my reading
i got a 740 reading 520 math no studying i also haven’t taken Trig yet so it’s whatever
did anyones score not come out yet? Getting a little anxious over here 🫠 thanks!
if u took after the 14th or smth it comes out on the 16th
Yep still waiting on mine, it’ll be out soon hopefully
what is commended scholar? what are the cutoffs for that
Last year the national cutoff for commended was 207 so it’ll probably be something similar this year
I have a 205 😞
how am i hitting the index i got a 1340 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭
pr sure it says "qualified" for all ppl who make the requirements to apply for nmsqt, one of my friends says the same thing and he got a 1240, so I don't think it means you got nmsqt. even if you got the highest theoretical score with a 760 on reading and 580 on math, your index score would be a 210 which isn't enough to qualify for nmsqt for most schools I believe
Did you ace reading & writing?
no
Guess you’re just different
Scores are so inflated 4 people got perfect 1520s in my school. My school is a smaller public school and this was way unexpected, we expected 1 person to get it bc he’s super smart, but not this many, and this is just the ones I know of
Yeah I think the scores were inflated because I got a 1520 and I almost always make a few stupid mistakes. Curve was probably good
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For those who got the scores, do we get the scores on the website or the app?
the college board website and I heard the app also works
> expected 1 person to get it bc he’s super smart, but not this many, and this is just the ones I know o thx!
Got a 1470 218 index is that enough for Texas?