What does my PSAT score mean for the SAT?
Updated
Your PSAT score is on the same scale as an SAT score. College Board says a student who took a PSAT and the SAT on the same day would be expected to get the same score on both. So a 1240 on the PSAT/NMSQT is about what you'd score on the SAT now, and your SAT score then reflects what you learn before test day.
The PSAT tests the same skills as the SAT, in the same format, so the practice you do on Aniko prepares you for both.
The PSAT and the SAT
The PSAT/NMSQT, PSAT 10 and PSAT 8/9 have the SAT's format: 98 questions in 2 hours and 14 minutes, with an adaptive second module in each section. See How long is the SAT, and how is it structured?
The PSAT/NMSQT (October, for 11th graders and some 10th graders) and the PSAT 10 (spring) are the same test. The PSAT 8/9 is set for younger students and has no trigonometry. You take a PSAT at school and sign up there.
Read your score report
PSAT/NMSQT and PSAT 10 scores run from 320 to 1520, because each section tops out at 760 instead of 800. PSAT 8/9 scores run from 240 to 1440.
Your report also shows percentiles, which compare you with other students who took the same test, and a score range, how much your score would likely vary if you took the test again.
National Merit and the Selection Index
The PSAT/NMSQT is the entry test for the National Merit Scholarship Program. If you're in high school for 4 years, only the PSAT/NMSQT you take in 11th grade counts. A 10th-grade PSAT/NMSQT, the PSAT 10 and the PSAT 8/9 don't. For other paths, such as finishing high school early, see the PSAT/NMSQT Student Guide.
The program uses your Selection Index, from 48 to 228: twice your Reading and Writing score plus your Math score, divided by 10. A 660 in Reading and Writing and a 580 in Math give 190.
When PSAT scores come out
PSAT/NMSQT scores come out on set dates, about 2 weeks after your school submits your answers. For fall 2026:
| Answers submitted by | Scores available to students |
|---|---|
| October 9, 2026 | October 22, 2026 |
| October 23, 2026 | November 5, 2026 |
| October 30, 2026 | November 12, 2026 |
For other tests and years, see College Board's score release dates. If you gave a mobile number at the test, you'll get a text when your scores are ready in the BigFuture School app. Your school can also share your score report.
Prepare for the PSAT on Aniko
- Practice the same skills. Aniko covers all 8 content domains of the SAT, which include everything the PSAT tests. See What's on the SAT?
- Rehearse the format. Aniko's full practice tests adapt the second module, as the PSAT does, and they're scored from 400 to 1600. For a score on the PSAT's own scale, take a PSAT practice test in College Board's Bluebook app.
- Keep your SAT as your test date. Test date in Study Plan Settings is the SAT date your plan prepares you for. Your practice prepares you for the PSAT along the way.
Aniko is an independent SAT prep platform and isn't affiliated with College Board or the National Merit Scholarship Corporation.
Frequently asked questions
It's set for a younger grade level. The PSAT/NMSQT and PSAT 10 test the SAT's skills for 10th and 11th graders, and their scores top out at 1520 instead of 1600. Both tests share one score scale, so a PSAT score compares directly with an SAT score.
No. College Board doesn't send PSAT scores to colleges. Colleges get your SAT scores when you send them.
No. Add SAT or Bluebook result in Analytics takes only scores from the official SAT and Bluebook SAT practice tests. You can still tell the AI tutor your PSAT score, so it can take it into account when you chat. See Add an official SAT or Bluebook score.
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