PSAT Score Needed for National Merit Scholarship

PSAT Score Needed for National Merit Scholarship SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Each year more than1.5 million juniors take the PSATin the hopes of qualifyingfor the National Merit Scholarship Program. But what score do they need to earnSemifinalist distinction? In this guide,we'll let you know whatPSAT score you need to qualify for Semifinalist status in your state and potentially move on to win a National Merit scholarship. What's a Good Score for National Merit Scholarship? The exact PSAT score for National Merit consideration varies from year to year and by state, but it's alwaysthe top 1% of students (about 16,000 juniors) who qualify as Semifinalists.About 15,000 students in this group then move on to become National Merit Finalists and win scholarship money. To be named a Semifinalist, youneed to score in the top 1% of yourstate - not the whole country. What scores do you need to qualify?To answer this question, you must first understand how the PSAT is scored. The PSAT is scoredfrom 320 to 1520.In addition to thatcompositescore, your score report will tell you yourtest scores forMath, Reading, and Writing and Language. These scores fall between 8 and 38. For National Merit eligibility, these are the most important score types. NMSC adds each section test scoretogether and then multiplies the sum by 2 to create a National Merit Selection Index Score. The resulting Selection Indexscore determines your National Merit eligibility. For example, let's sayyou got a 31 on Math, a 32 on Reading, and a 30 on Writing and Language. The sum of these subscores comes out to 93. You would then multiply this by 2toget your Selection Index Score: 186. In equation form, it looks like this: (31 + 32 + 30) * 2 = 186. Unfortunately, a Selection Index of 186 doesn'tqualify for National Merit Semifinalist status. What score do you need, then, to achieve this recognition? Read on for the full list of National Merit cutoffs in each state. Want to improve your PSAT score by 150 points? We have the industry's leading PSAT prep program. Built by Harvard grads and SAT full scorers, the program learns your strengths and weaknesses through advanced statistics, then customizes your prep program to you so that you get the most effective prep possible. Check out our 5-day free trial today: Qualifying Score for National Merit Semifinalistby State We've compiled a list of the qualifying scores for National Merit Semifinalist by state. These cutoffs applied tostudents who took the redesigned PSAT in the fall of 2017. State Selection Index Alabama 216 Alaska 215 Arizona 220 Arkansas 214 California 223 Colorado 221 Connecticut 222 Delaware 222 DC 223 Florida 219 Georgia 220 Hawaii 220 Idaho 214 Illinois 221 Indiana 219 Iowa 216 Kansas 218 Kentucky 218 Louisiana 217 Maine 217 Maryland 223 Massachusetts 223 Michigan 219 Minnesota 220 Mississippi 215 Missouri 217 Montana 214 Nebraska 216 Nevada 218 New Hampshire 219 New Jersey 223 New Mexico 215 New York 221 North Carolina 220 North Dakota 212 Ohio 219 Oklahoma 215 Oregon 221 Pennsylvania 220 Rhode Island 220 South Carolina 216 South Dakota 215 Tennessee 219 Texas 221 Utah 215 Vermont 216 Virginia 222 Washington 222 West Virginia 212 Wisconsin 216 Wyoming 212 Average Score 218 As you can see, scores vary depending on where you take the test. National Merit Index Selection Cutoffsregularly vary a few points between years, so aim to achieve a score at least 2-5 points higher than the predicted cutoff for your state! What Does This Mean for You? What Should Your Target PSAT Score Be? If you haven't taken the PSAT yet, then you can use the above chart to set target PSAT scores. Let's say you live in Nebraska. To be named a Semifinalist, you'll need a Selection Index score of 216. What scores do you need on each section of the PSAT to achieve this score? As you read above, your Selection Index equals the sum of your section scores (between 8 and 38) multiplied by 2. To figure out what PSAT scores you need based on your state's cutoff,simply work backward. As a Nebraska resident, your first step will be todivide Nebraska's cutoff score by 2: 216 / 2 = 108 Now, split 108 into three: 108 / 3 = 36 To get a Selection Index of 216, you'd need a 36 on each of the three sections (Math, Reading, and Writing and Language). Of course, youdon't have to set your target scores equally among the three sections. If you're especially strong at verbal skills, for example, you could instead aim for 38s on both Reading and Writing and a 32 in Math. Once you have a sense of what scores you'll need to meet your state's cutoff score, distribute them however you like based on your own academic strengths and weaknesses.Again, you can set target PSAT scores by dividing your state's cutoff in half and then splitting that quotient into three scores, each on a scale of 8-38. As mentioned above, the state cutoffs vary slightly from year to year depending on how students do on the PSAT. If you're really serious about getting named National Merit Semifinalist, then you should aim to score a little higher than this year's cutoff. By setting a goal for each section and devoting some time each week to prepping for the PSAT, you can achieve your goals and put yourself in the best position to earn a National Merit distinction. What’s Next? Are you taking the PSAT this year or next? Learn all about the newly redesigned test. Hoping to get the National Merit Scholarship?Get expert tips onhow to become a Semifinalist and how to win the scholarship. Are you interested in applying to othercollege scholarships? Read abouthow to get merit scholarships at state schools, how to win a Walmart Scholarship, and how to win these unusual scholarships. Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points or your ACT score by 4 points?We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now: