PSAT Scores - How PSAT Scoring Works
PSAT scores are calculated in much the same way as the new SAT scores:
Students earn 1 point for each question answered correctly.
Students neither lose nor gain points for questions answered incorrectly.
Students neither lose nor gain points for questions that are skipped.
The PSAT is divided into two sections: Math and Evidence-Based Reading & Writing. Because there is no penalty for guessing, a student's raw score for both of the main test areas is the number of questions answered correctly. Raw scores are then converted to scaled scores ranging between 160 and 760 (760 is the highest possible score for each section). The raw scores are added together for the total PSAT score, or Selection Index, which ranges between 320 and 1520.
Unlike the SAT, the PSAT does not contain a scored essay portion. However, the College Board will provide high schools with the option of administering a practice essay portion, called ScoreWrite. If your school chooses to administer this practice essay, it will not be scored by the College Board, and will not count toward your PSAT score. Its sole purpose will be to provide students with practice for the essay portion of the SAT.
Related Topics
You've got your child's PSAT results - now what? Visit our PSAT Results page to learn more about the PSAT Score Report and how to interpret your child's results.
Visit our National Merit Scholarship Qualifications page to find out if your child's scores qualify him or her for a National Merit Scholarship.
Want to learn more about the PSAT? Visit our PSAT Test page for information about the test format, question types, and scoring.
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