PSAT Scoring Question

Feeling a bit out of the loop here. Is the scoring for PSAT the same as the SAT? If not, what's it scored out of and do colleges consider PSAT scores for admission?

The PSAT and the SAT have similar components, but there is a small difference in how they're scored. The PSAT is scored on a scale of 320 to 1520 in total. Your total score is the sum of your Math score (160-760) and your Evidence-Based Reading and Writing score (160-760).

Colleges do not directly consider your PSAT scores as part of the admissions process. Instead, the PSAT is commonly used as a practice test to get a sense of one's performance before taking the SAT. That said, PSAT scores do play a role in determining your eligibility for the National Merit Scholarship program, which can indirectly affect your college applications if you end up being a Semifinalist or Finalist.

It's also important to note that there's a slight difference between PSAT and SAT scores due to the differential scales of scoring, an 1150 on the PSAT is approximately equivalent to an 1180 on the SAT, so it's not a direct 1-to-1 conversion.

In preparing for the SAT, you can utilize the Bluebook™ app which has rigorous and official practice tests to help you familiarise yourself with the testing format, which has been fully digital since Spring 2024. The structure emulates that of the SAT with Reading and Writing having two 32-minute modules for 54 questions and Math having two 35-minute modules for 44 questions.