Before you can judge a PSAT score, you have to know which scale it is on. The College Board runs three PSAT tests, plus the SAT, each on a different scale:
PSAT/NMSQT and PSAT 10: total 320 to 1520, sections 160 to 760.
PSAT 8/9: total 240 to 1440, sections 120 to 720.
SAT: total 400 to 1600, sections 200 to 800.
A score that sounds high on the PSAT 8/9 is not the same as the same number on the PSAT/NMSQT, and a PSAT number never maps one-to-one to an SAT number. Always read a score against its own scale first.
"Good" is relative. A score that is great for one student might be a starting point for another, depending on grades, target colleges, and how much time is left before the SAT. The most honest way to judge a PSAT score is against three things: the scale, your own past scores, and your personal target.
Percentile rankings in your score report help too, because they show how you compare to other students. But the scale and your own trend matter most for deciding what to study next.
On the PSAT/NMSQT scale of 320 to 1520, the College Board does not publish a single 'solid' threshold. A useful target is one that beats your last score and keeps you on pace for your SAT goal after continued practice.
If you are aiming at selective colleges, you will likely want a higher PSAT total, and you will keep raising it through the SAT. A lower PSAT is not a verdict; it is an early snapshot that tells you where to focus.
The PSAT 8/9 uses a lower scale, 240 to 1440, because it is taken by younger students and is a little easier. A good PSAT 8/9 score is simply one that lands above the middle of that range for an eighth or ninth grader and keeps climbing each year.
Do not compare a PSAT 8/9 number directly to a PSAT/NMSQT or SAT number. The scales are different, so the same score means different things on each. The goal of the PSAT 8/9 is to show growth and flag topics to work on early.
The PSAT and SAT test the same skills, but the SAT is harder and scored higher (400 to 1600, sections 200 to 800). That means a PSAT/NMSQT score usually forecasts a slightly lower SAT score, not an equal one, if you do no extra studying.
So treat your PSAT as a preview, not a promise. If your PSAT total is 1200, expect to need more work to reach a 1200 on the real SAT, because the SAT's harder questions and higher ceiling make the same performance score lower.
For juniors, a strong PSAT/NMSQT can also qualify you for the National Merit Scholarship Program. Qualification depends on a Selection Index the College Board calculates from your section scores.
There is no single National Merit cutoff. The score needed for Semifinalist status varies by state and by year, so do not chase a single number you heard. For the official rules and current cutoffs, check collegeboard.org.
If National Merit is a goal, aim as high as you reasonably can, especially in Reading and Writing, since that section is doubled in the Selection Index.
The best "good" score is the one that beats your last one. Pick a target based on the colleges you care about, look at what your PSAT says about your weak spots, and study those before the SAT.
Every point of growth on the PSAT is growth that carries into the SAT, because the two tests share format and skills. Start with the free PSAT practice set, then move into full SAT practice to keep climbing.
It depends on your goal. The College Board does not publish a single good-score threshold, so judge your score against the scale, your percentiles, and your own past results. If you are aiming for National Merit recognition, you need a higher score, and the exact cutoff varies by state and year.
The College Board does not set a 'good' score. A 1000 is a place to start; what matters most is whether you keep improving before the SAT. Compare yourself to your own past scores and your percentiles rather than to a fixed number.
There is no single number. National Merit Semifinalist cutoffs are based on the Selection Index and change by state and by year. For the official cutoffs and how the program works, see collegeboard.org.
The PSAT 8/9 is on a lower scale, 240 to 1440. A good score is one that is above the middle of that range for an eighth or ninth grader and shows growth from year to year. Compare it to your own earlier scores more than to anyone else's.
No. Colleges never see your PSAT scores. The PSAT is for your own practice and, for juniors, for National Merit qualification. The SAT is the score colleges consider.