PSAT Score Calculator and Selection Index Calculator
Estimate your PSAT score in seconds. Use raw correct answers or section scores, then calculate your PSAT/NMSQT Selection Index for National Merit planning.
PSAT Score Calculator
Choose raw correct answers or enter section scores directly.
Selection Index uses section scores. The calculator applies the official formula once you enter Reading and Writing and Math scores.
Digital PSAT is adaptive. The same number correct can produce slightly different scores depending on module difficulty and item response theory.
Selection Index is the key number for National Merit planning on the PSAT/NMSQT.
What Is a PSAT Score Calculator?
A PSAT score calculator estimates PSAT/NMSQT or PSAT 10 scores from raw performance or section scores.
A PSAT score calculator helps students estimate how raw correct answers may convert into Reading and Writing, Math, and total PSAT score results.
For most users, the real value of a PSAT score calculator is not just the total score. It is also the Selection Index, because that is the number tied to National Merit qualification on the PSAT/NMSQT.
This page works best as a PSAT/NMSQT score calculator, and it can also be used as a PSAT 10 score calculator. Just remember that PSAT 10 and PSAT 8/9 do not count for National Merit.
- Estimated Math and Reading and Writing section scores.
- Estimated total PSAT score on the 320-1520 scale.
- Selection Index using the official PSAT/NMSQT formula.
- Context for PSAT/NMSQT, PSAT 10, and PSAT 8/9 differences.
Quick links
Jump to the PSAT topics users usually care about first.
Selection Index Calculator for PSAT/NMSQT
The most important PSAT/NMSQT number for many students is not the total score. It is the Selection Index.
If you searched for a Selection Index calculator, PSAT index score calculator, or NMSQT index calculator, this is the section you want. The Selection Index is used for National Merit Scholarship Program screening.
Only the PSAT/NMSQT counts for National Merit. A PSAT 10 score can be estimated with the same score scale, but it does not qualify a student for National Merit.
That is why this PSAT score calculator shows total score and section scores, but also calculates the Selection Index automatically. It can also help students compare PSAT/NMSQT and PSAT 8/9 planning, while keeping the score ranges separate.
(2 x Reading and Writing + Math) / 10
Reading and Writing and Math are section scores, not raw correct counts.
- Enter your Reading and Writing section score, not the number of questions correct.
- Enter your Math section score from the same PSAT/NMSQT score report or practice estimate.
- Double the Reading and Writing score, add the Math score, then divide by 10.
- Use the result as a planning estimate. Official National Merit recognition still depends on the PSAT/NMSQT year, state, and official program rules.
National Merit basics
Use the calculator for planning, but treat cutoffs carefully.
PSAT/NMSQT only
National Merit uses the PSAT/NMSQT Selection Index. PSAT 10 and PSAT 8/9 do not count.
Cutoffs vary
Commended and semifinalist cutoffs can change by graduating class and, for semifinalists, by state.
Estimate, not guarantee
A PSAT score calculator is useful for planning, but it is not an official score report or a guaranteed National Merit result.
How to read your Selection Index
What Is the PSAT Scored Out Of?
Quick score facts for PSAT/NMSQT, PSAT 10, and PSAT 8/9 users.
How PSAT Scoring Works
A PSAT score calculator should estimate, not pretend to be an official score report.
Raw Correct vs Section Score
Why a PSAT score calculator shows estimates instead of one exact official score.
Raw correct
Raw correct means the number of questions you answered correctly in each section. Many students search for a PSAT score calculator because they know their raw correct counts from a practice test.
Scaled section score
College Board reports scaled section scores on the 160-760 range. Because the digital PSAT is adaptive, the same number correct can map to slightly different section scores.
PSAT/NMSQT vs PSAT 10 vs PSAT 8/9
Students often search PSAT score calculator terms when they actually mean different tests.
| Exam | Typical grade | Score range | National Merit? |
|---|---|---|---|
| PSAT/NMSQT | 10th or 11th | 320-1520 | Yes |
| PSAT 10 | 10th | 320-1520 | No |
| PSAT 8/9 | 8th or 9th | 240-1440 | No |
PSAT Score Calculator FAQ
Answers to the most common PSAT score calculator and Selection Index questions.
How do I calculate my PSAT Selection Index?
Use the formula (2 x Reading and Writing + Math) / 10. Enter section scores, not raw correct answers. For example, RW 720 and Math 700 gives (2 x 720 + 700) / 10 = 214.
Is this a Selection Index calculator or a PSAT score calculator?
It is both. The calculator estimates PSAT total score and section scores, then uses those section scores to calculate the PSAT/NMSQT Selection Index.
Can I use this as a PSAT 8/9 score calculator?
Use it carefully. PSAT 8/9 uses a 240-1440 score range, while PSAT/NMSQT and PSAT 10 use 320-1520. The Selection Index is for PSAT/NMSQT National Merit planning, not PSAT 8/9.
What is the PSAT scored out of?
The PSAT/NMSQT and PSAT 10 are scored on a 320-1520 scale. Each section, Reading and Writing and Math, is scored from 160-760. The Selection Index ranges from 48-228.
How many questions are on the PSAT/NMSQT?
The digital PSAT/NMSQT has 98 questions total: 54 Reading and Writing questions and 44 Math questions.
How long is the PSAT/NMSQT?
The PSAT/NMSQT takes 2 hours and 14 minutes of testing time. Reading and Writing takes 64 minutes, and Math takes 70 minutes.
How is the PSAT scored?
The digital PSAT uses adaptive modules and item response theory. That means a PSAT score calculator should be treated as an estimate. Raw correct answers are useful, but the final scaled score can still vary with question difficulty.
What is the PSAT Selection Index?
The Selection Index is the number used for National Merit screening on the PSAT/NMSQT. The formula is (2 x Reading and Writing + Math) / 10.
Does PSAT 10 count for National Merit?
No. PSAT 10 uses the same score scale as the PSAT/NMSQT, but it does not count for National Merit Scholarship Program qualification.
Does PSAT 8/9 count for National Merit?
No. PSAT 8/9 is a separate assessment with a lower score range, and it does not count for National Merit.
If I get 5 questions wrong on the PSAT, what would my score be?
There is no single guaranteed answer. On the digital PSAT, the same number wrong can lead to slightly different scaled scores because the test is adaptive. A good PSAT score calculator will give you an estimate, not pretend there is one exact official score.
Do colleges see PSAT scores?
No. Colleges do not receive your actual PSAT score. Students mainly use PSAT/NMSQT scores for practice, readiness tracking, and National Merit planning.
When do PSAT scores come out?
College Board says PSAT/NMSQT scores are typically available online about 4-6 weeks after testing, often in December.
Related score tools and guides
Use these pages if you also want SAT score estimates and score explanations.