SAT Owl

PSAT to SAT score converter

Enter your PSAT section scores. You'll get the SAT score your PSAT predicts today and your National Merit Selection Index (if it was the PSAT/NMSQT in junior year).

How PSAT scores compare to SAT scores

The PSAT/NMSQT, PSAT 10 and SAT share one score scale. A 1200 on the PSAT and a 1200 on the SAT mean the same level of skill, so your PSAT score is a fair estimate of what you'd get on the SAT if you took it the same day. The PSAT's maximum is 1520 (760 per section) instead of 1600 because it doesn't include the hardest SAT questions.

Your SAT score will be different from your PSAT score mostly because of what happens between the two tests: more coursework, more practice, and familiarity with the format. Students who take the PSAT in 10th grade and the SAT in 11th grade usually score higher on the SAT for that reason alone.

How the Selection Index works

National Merit uses the Selection Index, not your total score. Divide each section score by 10, then count Reading and Writing twice: Selection Index = 2 × (RW ÷ 10) + (Math ÷ 10). It ranges from 48 to 228. A 700 in Reading and Writing and a 720 in Math gives 2 × 70 + 72 = 212.

Only the PSAT/NMSQT taken in junior year counts. Semifinalist cutoffs are set state by state, so the same index can qualify in one state and fall short in another. They are announced in September of senior year. Commended Student status uses a single national cutoff that is lower than every state's semifinalist cutoff.

What to do after you get your PSAT score

1. Look at your section scores, not just the total. A gap of 60 or more points between sections tells you where your practice time should go.
2. Pick an SAT date. The 2026 to 2027 dates are Nov 7, Dec 5, Mar 6, May 1 and Jun 5. Most juniors take their first SAT in the spring.
3. Take a diagnostic to find the specific skills you're missing, then practice those first. Our 3-week study plan and skill guides are free.