PSAT National Merit Cutoffs

How the Selection Index works

The Selection Index is built from your two PSAT section scores: double the Reading & Writing score, add the Math score, then divide by 10. Because Reading & Writing counts twice, two students with the same total can have different Selection Indexes.

Each section runs from 160 to 760, so the Selection Index scale runs from 48 to 228.

• Formula: (2 × Reading & Writing + Math) ÷ 10
• Example: 720 RW and 710 Math is a 1430 total but a 215 Selection Index
• Example: 710 RW and 720 Math is also a 1430 total but only a 214 Selection Index
• Maximum Selection Index: 228 (760 RW and 760 Math)

Semifinalist cutoffs by state (class of 2026)

Semifinalist cutoffs are set separately for each state so that roughly 16,000 juniors qualify nationwide each year. Higher-scoring states therefore need higher Selection Indexes.

The cutoffs below are the confirmed class of 2026 numbers, compiled from publicly reported National Merit Scholarship Corporation notification data.

The commended cutoff

The commended level is a single national cutoff. For the class of 2026 it was a Selection Index of 210. Students at or above the commended cutoff who fall below their state's Semifinalist cutoff earn Commended Student recognition — roughly 34,000 students per year — but do not advance in the scholarship competition.

How cutoffs shift year to year

Cutoffs are recalculated for every class and usually move one to three points in either direction. The class of 2026 set record highs in many states, with Massachusetts and New Jersey reaching 225 — the highest state cutoffs ever recorded.

Because you cannot know your class's cutoff when you take the PSAT, treat the most recent confirmed cutoff plus two points as your safe target. If your practice Selection Index sits at or above that number, build a plan with the study plan generator and keep your accuracy sharp through junior fall.

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