PSAT and National Merit
What PSAT score qualifies for National Merit?
National Merit screening uses your PSAT/NMSQT Selection Index, not one nationwide total-score cutoff. Semifinalist qualifying scores vary by state or selection unit and graduation class; eligibility requirements and later application steps also matter.
Start with the Selection Index
The formula is , where is Reading and Writing and is Math. A 700 in each section gives . That total score is 1400, but the index is 210.
A different 1400 split, 720 Reading and Writing and 680 Math, produces . A total alone cannot tell you whether you reached an index threshold.
Match the cutoff to your class and selection unit
Use your graduating class, not just the year you took the PSAT. The class of 2027 ordinarily qualified through the fall 2025 PSAT/NMSQT; a student testing in fall 2026 should not treat class-of-2027 thresholds as a guarantee.
See the state cutoff table with its source labels and year. Boarding-school and students-abroad selection rules may differ from an ordinary state lookup. Confirm your selection unit and standing with the counselor or National Merit Scholarship Corporation.
Commended, Semifinalist, and scholarship are separate
The Commended level is a national recognition threshold; Semifinalist selection uses state or selection-unit thresholds. Semifinalist status is not an automatic scholarship. Additional requirements apply for Finalist standing and scholarship consideration.
The PSAT 10 and an SAT score alone do not substitute for the qualifying PSAT/NMSQT entry. Check the eligibility information on your report rather than relying only on a calculator result.