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Duke University
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Unweighted GPA: 3.7
1.0
4.0
SAT: 720 math
200
800
| 800 verbal
200
800

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Low accuracy (4 of 18 factors)

How does PSAT scoring work?

I've been trying to get my head around how the PSAT is scored. Like, what's the total possible score you can get, and how is it broken down? I've heard it's different from the SAT and could use some explanation.

a year ago

Hey there! Absolutely, happy to help clear things up about the PSAT scoring. So, just like the SAT, the PSAT has two main sections: Evidence-Based Reading and Writing (EBRW) and Math. Each of these sections is scored on a scale from 160 to 760, which means the combined total score ranges from 320 to 1520. This is slightly different from the SAT, where the scores range from 200 to 800 for each section, making the total possible score 1600.

Now, each section's score derives from your raw score, which is the number of questions you answered correctly — no penalty for wrong answers. The College Board then converts these raw scores into the scaled scores I mentioned earlier (160-760 per section) through a process called 'equating'. This equating process considers the difficulty of the test to ensure that scores are comparable across different test forms and dates. For example, if you've got 40 questions correct on Math, depending on the difficulty of your test version, that raw score could equate to a scaled score of, say, 600. Each year's National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Score also depends on the scaling, which is why it varies from year to year and from state to state. I hope this explanation helps, and remember, while the PSAT is great practice for the SAT, it's also the qualifying test for National Merit Scholarships, so it's good to take it seriously!

a year ago

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