PSAT Average Scores - What's a Good Result?

Hey everyone. I took the PSAT recently and I'm wondering about the average scores. What would you say is considered a 'good' score? And does it really matter for college admissions?

The PSAT is scaled on a range of 320 to 1520, with 320 being the lowest possible score and 1520 being the highest. The benchmark for a "good" score can, however, vary depending on your goals. Broadly speaking, the national average sits around the 920-930 range. If you've scored higher than that, you're already doing better than the majority.

If your goal is to qualify for the National Merit Scholarship Program, then you're aiming for a much higher score. Though the qualifying score for the National Merit Scholarship program can shift slightly each year and also varies by state, you typically need a score in the 1400-1520 range to have a shot at becoming a Semifinalist.

In the context of college admissions, it's important to note that the PSAT is primarily a practice test for the SAT. Colleges do not use PSAT scores in their admissions process. That said, your PSAT score can give you a sense of how you might perform on the SAT. You can use your PSAT results to pinpoint areas where you may need to study more to improve your SAT score.

Finally, beginning Fall 2023, the digitized PSAT is closely aligned with the digital SAT in terms of structure and scoring. Thus, you can roughly estimate your SAT score based on your PSAT result. For example, an 1150 on the PSAT is around 1180 on the SAT. So, a good PSAT score would be one that aligns with the SAT score range of the colleges you're interested in.

Keep in mind that although PSAT is considered a good predictor for SAT, there may still be variability based on your test day performance. I'd advise taking some SAT practice tests to prepare ahead of time so you can get a more accurate idea of how you will fare in the actual test.