# PSAT to SAT 2026: Scores and Merit Cutoffs | topin

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## PSAT to SAT conversion: the scores are already on one scale

College Board puts every test in the SAT Suite on a shared vertical scale. A PSAT/NMSQT score predicts the SAT score you would have earned on the same day, not a score months later. Anything you learn between the two tests can move the number, which is why you should check it with a fresh timed SAT practice test before setting your plan.

__Score ranges on the shared SAT Suite scale (College Board, checked 4 October 2026)__
| Test                   | Total    | Each section | Who takes it           |
| ---------------------- | -------- | ------------ | ---------------------- |
| SAT                    | 400–1600 | 200–800      | Juniors and seniors    |
| PSAT/NMSQT and PSAT 10 | 320–1520 | 160–760      | Sophomores and juniors |
| PSAT 8/9               | 240–1440 | 120–720      | Grades 8 and 9         |

The PSAT tops out at 1520 because it leaves out the hardest SAT-level questions, so a perfect PSAT does not show where you would land between 1520 and 1600\. Charts that add a fixed number of points to “convert” a PSAT score are guesses about how much you will study, not College Board figures.

Read your two section scores, not just the total. A 1250 made of 600 Reading and Writing and 650 Math points to different work from 650 and 600\. To see how your PSAT compares with other students, use the percentiles in [our guide to good SAT scores](/articles/good-sat-score).

## Selection Index maths: Reading and Writing counts twice

National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC) ranks students by the Selection Index: (2 × Reading and Writing + Math) ÷ 10\. It runs from 48 to 228, and only the junior-year PSAT/NMSQT counts for entry to the programme.

__Three students with a 1400 PSAT total and different Selection Indexes__
| Student       | Reading and Writing | Math | Calculation       | Selection Index |
| ------------- | ------------------- | ---- | ----------------- | --------------- |
| Balanced      | 700                 | 700  | (1400 + 700) ÷ 10 | 210             |
| Math-heavy    | 660                 | 740  | (1320 + 740) ÷ 10 | 206             |
| Reading-heavy | 740                 | 660  | (1480 + 660) ÷ 10 | 214             |

Every 10 points in Reading and Writing adds 2 to your index; every 10 in Math adds 1\. So for a student near a cutoff, Reading and Writing is usually the cheaper section to improve. To hit 220 you need 2 × Reading and Writing + Math of at least 2200: with 740 Math, that means 730 Reading and Writing.

## National Merit Semifinalist cutoffs by state: Class of 2027

These are the official Class of 2027 cutoffs, released by NMSC in September 2026 for students who took the PSAT/NMSQT in October 2025\. Every state fell compared with the Class of 2026, and the national Commended cutoff fell from 210 to 208.

__Class of 2027 Semifinalist Selection Index cutoffs (NMSC, checked 4 October 2026)__
| State                            | Cutoff |
| -------------------------------- | ------ |
| Alabama                          | 210    |
| Alaska                           | 208    |
| Arizona                          | 215    |
| Arkansas                         | 210    |
| California                       | 220    |
| Colorado                         | 217    |
| Connecticut                      | 220    |
| Delaware                         | 219    |
| District of Columbia             | 223    |
| Florida                          | 216    |
| Georgia                          | 217    |
| Hawaii                           | 218    |
| Idaho                            | 211    |
| Illinois                         | 218    |
| Indiana                          | 215    |
| Iowa                             | 210    |
| Kansas                           | 212    |
| Kentucky                         | 211    |
| Louisiana                        | 211    |
| Maine                            | 214    |
| Maryland                         | 221    |
| Massachusetts                    | 221    |
| Michigan                         | 216    |
| Minnesota                        | 214    |
| Mississippi                      | 211    |
| Missouri                         | 214    |
| Montana                          | 208    |
| Nebraska                         | 212    |
| Nevada                           | 211    |
| New Hampshire                    | 215    |
| New Jersey                       | 223    |
| New Mexico                       | 209    |
| New York                         | 220    |
| North Carolina                   | 217    |
| North Dakota                     | 208    |
| Ohio                             | 216    |
| Oklahoma                         | 210    |
| Oregon                           | 216    |
| Pennsylvania                     | 219    |
| Rhode Island                     | 213    |
| South Carolina                   | 212    |
| South Dakota                     | 210    |
| Tennessee                        | 214    |
| Texas                            | 219    |
| Utah                             | 209    |
| Vermont                          | 212    |
| Virginia                         | 221    |
| Washington                       | 221    |
| West Virginia                    | 208    |
| Wisconsin                        | 212    |
| Wyoming                          | 208    |
| US students studying abroad      | 223    |
| US territories and commonwealths | 208    |

Your state is the one where your high school is, not where you live. Boarding-school students are grouped into regions that use the highest state cutoff in the region. The same 220 index that clears California’s 220 falls short of New Jersey’s 223.

## Class of 2027 vs Class of 2028: which cutoff is yours?

The competition is named after your high-school graduation year. The cutoffs above are for the Class of 2027, who took the PSAT/NMSQT in October 2025 as juniors. Juniors taking it in October 2026 are the Class of 2028; their cutoffs will be released in September 2027 and Semifinalists notified that autumn.

Nobody can know the Class of 2028 cutoffs yet. The Class of 2027 table is the best guide, but cutoffs move by a few points most years, so aim one or two points above your state’s latest figure if you are near the line.

## When do October 2026 PSAT scores come out?

Schools give the PSAT/NMSQT at any point in the testing window, 1–30 October 2026\. Your release date depends on when your school sends in its answers, not on the day you sat the test, so classmates at other schools may see scores before you.

__Autumn 2026 PSAT/NMSQT score release (College Board, checked 4 October 2026)__
| School submits answers by | Schools see scores | Students see scores |
| ------------------------- | ------------------ | ------------------- |
| 9 October 2026            | 20 October 2026    | 22 October 2026     |
| 23 October 2026           | 3 November 2026    | 5 November 2026     |
| 30 October 2026           | 10 November 2026   | 12 November 2026    |

Scores appear in your College Board account, and the report shows your Selection Index. Statewide testing programmes can follow their own arrangements, so ask your school if you are unsure which group you are in.

## What reaching a cutoff does and does not get you

* Commended Student (index 208 or above for the Class of 2027): a letter of commendation; Commended students do not go on to compete for National Merit Scholarships.
* Semifinalist (at or above your state’s cutoff): you can apply to become a Finalist.
* Finalist: you need a strong academic record, a school endorsement, an application and an SAT or ACT score that confirms your PSAT performance.
* Scholarship winner: chosen from the Finalists; some colleges add their own awards for Finalists, on their own terms.

NMSC does not publish a single “confirming score”; check the requirements in your Semifinalist materials. If you missed the junior-year test for illness or another serious reason, contact NMSC about alternate entry as soon as you can.

## Turn your PSAT report into an SAT plan

* Save the report: section scores, Selection Index and the skill breakdown.
* Work out your index and compare it with your state’s Class of 2027 cutoff.
* Take a full-length timed SAT practice test to get a current baseline.
* List your colleges, check their testing policies, and set a section-by-section SAT target.

From there, [a one- or three-month SAT study plan](/articles/sat-study-plan) turns your weak skills into a schedule.

Before choosing a test date, [our tracker of colleges that require the SAT](/articles/colleges-requiring-sat-2026) tells you which schools on your list need a score.

[topin’s first full-length SAT mock is free](/sat/practice-test), adaptive like Bluebook and scored on the 400–1600 scale with explanations, which makes it a good first check after your PSAT.

## Try a full SAT mock free

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[Take the free mock ](/sat/login)

## FAQs

What SAT score is equivalent to a 1400 PSAT?

About 1400\. The PSAT and SAT share one scale, so a 1400 PSAT predicts roughly 1400 on the SAT if taken the same day.

How do I calculate my National Merit Selection Index?

Double your PSAT/NMSQT Reading and Writing score, add your Math score and divide by 10\. 700 in each section gives 210.

What is the National Merit cutoff for the Class of 2027?

Semifinalist cutoffs range from 208 (several states) to 223 (New Jersey, DC and students abroad). The Commended cutoff is 208.

Are October 2026 PSAT scores for the Class of 2027?

No. Juniors testing in October 2026 are the Class of 2028; the Class of 2027 cutoffs come from the October 2025 PSAT/NMSQT.

When do 2026 PSAT scores come out?

On 22 October, 5 November or 12 November 2026, depending on when your school submits its answers.

Does a 1520 PSAT mean a 1600 SAT?

Not necessarily. 1520 is the PSAT ceiling, so it cannot show how you would do on the hardest SAT questions.

Does becoming a Semifinalist guarantee a scholarship?

No. Semifinalists must apply to become Finalists, and scholarships are awarded to a subset of Finalists.

## Sources (checked 4 October 2026)

* [College Board: Understanding PSAT/NMSQT scores](https://satsuite.collegeboard.org/psat-nmsqt/scores/understanding-scores)
* [College Board: SAT Suite vertical scale](https://satsuite.collegeboard.org/higher-ed-professionals/score-reports/vertical-scaling)
* [College Board: Score release dates (PSAT/NMSQT and SAT)](https://satsuite.collegeboard.org/scores/score-release-dates)
* [NMSC: Guide to the National Merit Scholarship Program](https://www.nationalmerit.org/s/1758/images/gid2/editor%5Fdocuments/guide%5Fto%5Fthe%5Fnational%5Fmerit%5Fscholarship%5Fprogram.pdf)
* [NMSC: Program entry and selection](https://www.nationalmerit.org/s/1758/interior.aspx?cc=1&gid=2&pgid=1881)
* [Compass Prep: National Merit Semifinalist cutoffs (state table cross-check)](https://www.compassprep.com/national-merit-semifinalist-cutoffs/)

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