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Free tool · PSAT/NMSQT

National Merit cutoffs, state by state.

Enter your PSAT/NMSQT section scores to get your Selection Index and see how it compares with your state’s Semifinalist cutoff. For the class of 2027, cutoffs ran from 208 to 223, and the Commended cutoff was 208.

Your Selection Index

Selection Index–out of 228

Enter both section scores from your PSAT/NMSQT score report.

This year’s juniors (class of 2028) took the test in October 2026. Their cutoffs come out in September 2027 and usually land within a few points of the year before. For the class of 2027, every state’s cutoff fell, by 1 to 7 points.

Semifinalist cutoffs by state

The Selection Index a junior needed to be named a National Merit Semifinalist, by the state where they go to school. Class of 2027 took the PSAT/NMSQT in October 2025; class of 2026 took it in October 2024.

StateClass of 2027Class of 2026Change
District of Columbia223225−2
New Jersey223225−2
Studying abroad223225−2
Maryland221224−3
Massachusetts221225−4
Virginia221224−3
Washington221224−3
California220224−4
Connecticut220223−3
New York220223−3
Delaware219220−1
Pennsylvania219221−2
Texas219222−3
Hawaii218219−1
Illinois218222−4
Colorado217219−2
Georgia217220−3
North Carolina217220−3
Florida216219−3
Michigan216220−4
Ohio216219−3
Oregon216219−3
Arizona215218−3
Indiana215218−3
New Hampshire215219−4
Maine214217−3
Minnesota214219−5
Missouri214217−3
Tennessee214219−5
Rhode Island213219−6
Kansas212216−4
Nebraska212214−2
South Carolina212215−3
Vermont212216−4
Wisconsin212215−3
Idaho211215−4
Kentucky211214−3
Louisiana211216−5
Mississippi211213−2
Nevada211214−3
Alabama210214−4
Arkansas210215−5
Iowa210214−4
Oklahoma210212−2
South Dakota210211−1
New Mexico209210−1
Utah209213−4
Alaska208215−7
Montana208213−5
North Dakota208210−2
U.S. territories208210−2
West Virginia208210−2
Wyoming208210−2
Commended (national)208210−2

How National Merit works

About 1.3 million juniors take the PSAT/NMSQT each year. Roughly 50,000 with the highest Selection Index scores are recognized: about 34,000 become Commended Students, and about 16,000 become Semifinalists, chosen state by state so every state gets its share.

Semifinalists then apply to become Finalists (most do, with good grades, an SAT or ACT score that confirms the PSAT, a school recommendation and an essay), and about 7,000 Finalists win National Merit Scholarships. Some colleges add their own large scholarships for Finalists.

When it all happens

  • October, junior year: take the PSAT/NMSQT at your school.
  • Late October to mid-November: scores appear in your College Board account (for fall 2026: October 22, November 5 or November 12, depending on when your school sent in answers).
  • September, senior year: Semifinalists and Commended Students are announced through schools.
  • February, senior year: Finalists are told; scholarship winners are announced in the spring.

Only the 11th-grade test counts. If you’re a sophomore, treat this fall’s PSAT as practice and use the score report to see what to study.

Questions

What PSAT score do you need for National Merit?

It depends on your state. For the class of 2027, Semifinalist cutoffs ran from a Selection Index of 208 (Alaska, Montana, North Dakota, West Virginia, Wyoming) to 223 (New Jersey, Washington, D.C., and students abroad). The national Commended cutoff was 208.

How is the Selection Index calculated?

Double your Reading and Writing score, add your Math score, and divide by 10. Each section is scored 160 to 760, so the Selection Index runs from 48 to 228. A 700 in Reading and Writing and a 720 in Math is (1400 + 720) ÷ 10 = 212.

Which PSAT counts for National Merit?

Only the PSAT/NMSQT you take in the fall of 11th grade. The 10th-grade PSAT and the PSAT 8/9 are good practice but don’t count.

When are National Merit Semifinalists announced?

In September of senior year, about 11 months after the test. Schools are told first, Semifinalists are announced in mid-September, and Commended Students hear in late September.

What is a good PSAT score?

For National Merit, anything above your state’s cutoff. For college planning, your PSAT is mostly a preview of your SAT: the scales line up, so a 1300 on the PSAT suggests about where your SAT would land if you took it the same day.

Does National Merit help with college admissions?

Being a Semifinalist or Finalist is a strong line on an application, and some colleges give large scholarships to National Merit Finalists. For most students, though, the SAT or ACT score sent to colleges matters far more than the PSAT.

Close to the line?

A Clarity Prep mentor helps you plan SAT prep, pick classes and build a college list that fits your scores, with a weekly check-in until applications are in.

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More free tools: GPA calculator · chances calculator · scholarships · college acceptance rates

Cutoffs: class of 2027 released September 9, 2026, as compiled by Compass Education Group and Test Ninjas (the two tables agree on every state); National Merit Scholarship Corporation for how the program works. PSAT score dates: College Board, fall 2026. Not affiliated with NMSC or College Board. Updated October 18, 2026.