Understanding the PSAT Results Timeline: From Test Day to Score Release
The Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT) is a standardized test administered by the College Board to high school students, primarily 10th and 11th graders. It serves as a practice test for the SAT, a gauge for college readiness, and a way to qualify for the National Merit Scholarship. Understanding the timeline for receiving PSAT results is crucial for students, parents, and educators. This article provides a comprehensive overview of when and how PSAT scores are released, along with information on interpreting and utilizing these scores for future academic endeavors.
PSAT Administration and Testing Windows
The PSAT is administered annually in October, typically offering a primary test date, a Saturday test date, and an alternate date. The exact logistics of taking the PSAT depend on individual schools, so it's essential to check with your school counselor by September 1st to understand their specific plan for administering the test. This ensures you're not caught off guard and can take the necessary steps to participate.
For example, in 2022, the PSAT testing dates were:
- Primary Test Day: Wednesday, October 12, 2022
- Saturday Test Day: October 15, 2022
- Alternate Test Day: Tuesday, October 25, 2022
The testing window for the fall 2025 PSAT/NMSQT is October 1-October 31, with each school choosing its test administration date. The testing window for the PSAT 10 will be March 2-April 30, 2026.
When to Expect Your PSAT Scores
PSAT/NMSQT scores are typically available a few weeks after your test date. Generally, PSAT scores are released online by mid-December. The College Board typically releases PSAT scores at the beginning of December. While the College Board doesn’t publish exact score release dates, there has been very little variability over the past years.
Read also: Decoding the PSAT: Your Sophomore Year
Scores for the 2024 PSAT will be released on three separate dates. So if you take the PSAT on, say, October 9, you'll get your score by October 24.
The exact day and time PSAT scores come out will vary depending on your state. In general, test scores for states in the southwest are released first, followed shortly by states in the southeast and northeast, with midwest and west coast states trailing a few days later.
It's important to note that your guidance counselor will have access to your scores before the official online release date. Educators will also be able to access PSAT scores online in late November. This doesn’t mean that your guidance counselor will seek out every student who took the PSAT to share the news (there are often hundreds of students for one single guidance counselor), but in rare cases your guidance counselor may let you know your results ahead of time.
How to View Your PSAT/NMSQT Scores
There are several ways to view your PSAT/NMSQT scores:
- BigFuture School Mobile App: If you provided your mobile number on test day, you'll receive a text message with access to the BigFuture School mobile app. Once downloaded, you can view your score on BigFuture School.
- School Counselor: Ask your school counselor for your score report. Schools do still have the option to print their student score reports and distribute them, but it isn’t required.
- College Board Account: You can view your scores online with a personal College Board account. To view your report, you must create a College Board account. If you don’t already have an account, you can create one. Do not create a new College Board account if you already have one. Multiple accounts can make it difficult to get your PSAT/NMSQT score and other important information. Once you've logged in, click "PSAT/NMSQT, PSAT 10, and PSAT 8/9 Scores" to get to your PSAT scores.
Understanding Your PSAT Score Report
The PSAT measures the skills and knowledge that research shows are the most important for success in college and career. The PSAT has two sections: Reading and Writing, and Math. Students receive two scores: Reading and Writing (scored 160-760) and Math (scored 160-760) for a combined score of 320-1520. PSAT scores only go up to 1520 instead of 1600 as they do on the SAT. The reason for this is that the SAT has higher-level reading passages, tests trickier grammatical rules, and includes more trigonometry and harder math.
Read also: Your Guide to PSAT Question Banks
When you access your score report, you will see a big black number at the top. This number is your PSAT 8/9 score, also referred to as your total score and is in the range of 240-1440. Your student's PSAT 8/9 score report will pinpoint areas of strength and areas for growth.
Like with other PSAT scores, your student's score report will detail areas of strength and areas for growth and provide a total score as well as section scores. In addition, the College Board provides students with a percentile, a benchmark, and NMSC Selection Index Score. Along with your overall score, the PSAT score report will include percentiles comparing you to other students who took the PSAT that year. Scoring in the 85th percentile means you scored better than 85% of test-takers. Typically, a score in or around the 75th percentile can be considered a good PSAT score.
The student score report provides further context for understanding scores by showing a color-coded bar chart for the section scores. Students who met or exceeded the benchmark will be in the green portion of the score band. If students didn’t meet the benchmark but were close (within one year’s growth), their scores will be in the yellow portion.
Utilizing Your PSAT Scores
Each PSAT exam will give students an indication of their preparedness level for college and career. The PSAT is an important test for two reasons. First, it is a good indicator of how well you might perform on the SAT. In fact, your PSAT score is intended to be a good estimate of how you’ll do on the actual SAT. What's more, since the structure of the SAT is so similar to that of the ACT, you can use the PSAT to prepare for the ACT as well. While PSAT scoring is not identical to the SAT’s, there are similar exercises on both tests. The PSAT can highlight areas of strength and concepts that you can improve. So, there really isn’t a specific score you need. Instead, it’s more helpful to think of your PSAT scores as a starting point for SAT prep.
The process of analyzing your errors will be helpful even if you scored extremely well on the PSAT, since the content on the PSAT and SAT aren't exactly the same. Rather than beating yourself up over what you did wrong, try to focus on figuring out why you did poorly on a given section. Was it because you’d never taken a standardized test before and got nervous? Whatever the reasons for your issues, make sure to start your SAT or ACT prep by addressing your weaknesses revealed by the PSAT.
Read also: ACT/SAT Scores from Your PSAT
For personalized SAT practice, students can create a Khan Academy account and submit their previous PSAT scores or take short quizzes to get free, customized practice for the SAT. If your student would like to spend time improving on the skills they're learning in school, they can create a free account on Khan Academy. The College Board recommends 6-8 hours of Khan Academy practice.
National Merit Scholarship Qualification
The other reason that PSAT is important is because it the qualifying test for National Merit Scholarships. In fact, it’s often referred to by the acronym PSAT/NMSQT. By this measure, your score really does matter, since initial screening for the scholarships is based entirely on your score.
Your score report will list your PSAT score out of a total possible 1520 points. These are not the scores that qualify you for National Merit Scholarships, though. Instead, National Merit takes your Math, Reading, and Writing subscores from the PSAT, adds them up, and multiplies them by 2. The resulting number falls between 48 and 228 and is known as your Selection Index (SI).
Minimum scores for the National Merit Scholarships vary year to year and from state to state, according to how everyone performs. You can find a helpful chart of predicted cutoff scores in our post What PSAT Score Do You Need to Qualify for National Merit?. Generally, the top 3-4% of test takers are recognized by the National Merit Scholarship program. The majority of these receive the title of Commended Student. The top 1% scorers by state become Semifinalists, and 50% of these students become finalists. Only around 8,000 students nationwide end up receiving scholarships.
According to the College Board, entry into the NMSC competition for scholarships for the academic year starting in the fall of 2026 is based on students’ scores and responses to program entry questions on the 2024 PSAT/NMSQT. In order to qualify for the 2026 National Merit Program, students must meet all of the following requirements. The College Board uses junior-year PSAT scores to qualify students for a variety of college scholarships. If your number on the selection index is above your state’s cutoff (which changes every year), you may qualify for different levels of honors and scholarships. Cutoffs for boarding school students are determined regionally as opposed to at the state level. Students who are homeschooled are treated like any other students in their state.
If your score qualifies you for recognition through the National Merit program, you may have some work ahead of you before the process is over. If you advance, you’ll need to submit additional materials, including grades, SAT scores, and other important documentation of your academic and leadership skills. This includes materials similar to a college application, such as an essay and letters of recommendation.
Additional Considerations
- Colleges do not see PSAT scores. However, the College Board uses junior-year PSAT/NMSQT scores to qualify students for a variety of college scholarships, including a National Merit Scholarship. This honor also distinguishes a student’s college application.
- The PSAT is a preview of the SAT, and will play a key role as students decide whether to choose the SAT or the ACT.
- Whether they are planning to focus on the SAT or ACT as a junior, strong students should take preparation seriously to increase their chances of earning the National Merit designation.
- Students can opt to have their scores sent to up to 4 colleges or programs at no cost.
Preparing for the PSAT
Because the PSAT focuses on the knowledge and skills your student is learning in school, the best way to prepare for the test is to take challenging courses, pay attention in class, and do their homework. Day-to-day classroom work and homework develops the knowledge and skills students need to succeed on the SAT.
At Peak to Peak, our students start practicing the PSAT in 8th grade and each year after leading up to the spring SAT test for juniors. Because the PSAT 8/9 is designed to identify the areas students need to focus on and set a starting point for progress, students do not need to do anything special to prepare for the test.
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