Could your PSAT qualify for National Merit?
Enter your PSAT/NMSQT score and state to see how your Selection Index compares with recent Semifinalist cutoffs.
- PSAT/NMSQT = Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test.
- National Merit uses the PSAT/NMSQT taken in the qualifying year, typically junior year.
- Section scores range from 160–760.
- Reading & Writing counts twice in the Selection Index.
Math
R&W
Click any number above to type it. Total 320–1520, sections 160–760, in steps of 10. Typed values snap into range.
Your Selection Index
- Range: 48–228.
- Formula: (2 × Reading & Writing + Math) ÷ 10
- Reading & Writing counts twice.
- This is the score National Merit uses for Commended and Semifinalist qualification.
180
(2 × R&W 600 + Math 600) ÷ 10
208–223
Across all states
208
- One national cutoff applies to all students.
- Class of 2027: 208
- Class of 2026: 210
- Class of 2025: 208
- State Semifinalist cutoffs are always at or above the Commended cutoff.
Your Selection Index is 28 points below
Semifinalist cutoffs by state
Compare confirmed and estimated Selection Index cutoffs by state. Class of 2027 scores come from the October 2025 PSAT/NMSQT.
- Alabama
- 2027
- 210confirmed
- 2026
- 214
- 2025
- 212
- SF / yr
- 250
- Alaska
- 2027
- 211est.
- 2026
- 215
- 2025
- 214
- SF / yr
- 35
- Arizona
- 2027
- 215est.
- 2026
- 218
- 2025
- 217
- SF / yr
- 398
- Arkansas
- 2027
- 210est.
- 2026
- 215
- 2025
- 213
- SF / yr
- 143
- California
- 2027
- 220confirmed
- 2026
- 224
- 2025
- 221
- SF / yr
- 2,115
- Colorado
- 2027
- 217est.
- 2026
- 219
- 2025
- 218
- SF / yr
- 286
- Connecticut
- 2027
- 221est.
- 2026
- 223
- 2025
- 221
- SF / yr
- 175
- Delaware
- 2027
- 219est.
- 2026
- 220
- 2025
- 219
- SF / yr
- 44
- District of Columbia
- 2027
- 223est.
- 2026
- 225
- 2025
- 223
- SF / yr
- 36
- Florida
- 2027
- 216confirmed
- 2026
- 219
- 2025
- 217
- SF / yr
- 999
- Georgia
- 2027
- 218est.
- 2026
- 220
- 2025
- 218
- SF / yr
- 602
- Hawaii
- 2027
- 216est.
- 2026
- 219
- 2025
- 217
- SF / yr
- 62
- Idaho
- 2027
- 213est.
- 2026
- 215
- 2025
- 213
- SF / yr
- 96
- Illinois
- 2027
- 218confirmed
- 2026
- 222
- 2025
- 220
- SF / yr
- 704
- Indiana
- 2027
- 215confirmed
- 2026
- 218
- 2025
- 217
- SF / yr
- 313
- Iowa
- 2027
- 211est.
- 2026
- 214
- 2025
- 212
- SF / yr
- 145
- Kansas
- 2027
- 214est.
- 2026
- 216
- 2025
- 215
- SF / yr
- 144
- Kentucky
- 2027
- 212est.
- 2026
- 214
- 2025
- 213
- SF / yr
- 201
- Louisiana
- 2027
- 211est.
- 2026
- 216
- 2025
- 214
- SF / yr
- 222
- Maine
- 2027
- 214est.
- 2026
- 217
- 2025
- 214
- SF / yr
- 55
- Maryland
- 2027
- 221est.
- 2026
- 224
- 2025
- 222
- SF / yr
- 308
- Massachusetts
- 2027
- 222est.
- 2026
- 225
- 2025
- 223
- SF / yr
- 318
- Michigan
- 2027
- 216est.
- 2026
- 220
- 2025
- 218
- SF / yr
- 485
- Minnesota
- 2027
- 216est.
- 2026
- 219
- 2025
- 217
- SF / yr
- 279
- Mississippi
- 2027
- 211confirmed
- 2026
- 213
- 2025
- 212
- SF / yr
- 155
- Missouri
- 2027
- 214confirmed
- 2026
- 217
- 2025
- 215
- SF / yr
- 289
- Montana
- 2027
- 209est.
- 2026
- 213
- 2025
- 209
- SF / yr
- 47
- Nebraska
- 2027
- 211est.
- 2026
- 214
- 2025
- 211
- SF / yr
- 105
- Nevada
- 2027
- 211confirmed
- 2026
- 214
- 2025
- 214
- SF / yr
- 168
- New Hampshire
- 2027
- 215est.
- 2026
- 219
- 2025
- 217
- SF / yr
- 60
- New Jersey
- 2027
- 223est.
- 2026
- 225
- 2025
- 223
- SF / yr
- 451
- New Mexico
- 2027
- 209est.
- 2026
- 210
- 2025
- 211
- SF / yr
- 104
- New York
- 2027
- 220confirmed
- 2026
- 223
- 2025
- 220
- SF / yr
- 1,012
- North Carolina
- 2027
- 217est.
- 2026
- 220
- 2025
- 218
- SF / yr
- 510
- North Dakota
- 2027
- 208est.
- 2026
- 210
- 2025
- 210
- SF / yr
- 30
- Ohio
- 2027
- 216confirmed
- 2026
- 219
- 2025
- 217
- SF / yr
- 538
- Oklahoma
- 2027
- 210confirmed
- 2026
- 212
- 2025
- 211
- SF / yr
- 204
- Oregon
- 2027
- 216est.
- 2026
- 219
- 2025
- 216
- SF / yr
- 188
- Pennsylvania
- 2027
- 219confirmed
- 2026
- 221
- 2025
- 219
- SF / yr
- 596
- Rhode Island
- 2027
- 216est.
- 2026
- 219
- 2025
- 217
- SF / yr
- 47
- South Carolina
- 2027
- 212est.
- 2026
- 215
- 2025
- 214
- SF / yr
- 236
- South Dakota
- 2027
- 210est.
- 2026
- 211
- 2025
- 208
- SF / yr
- 42
- Tennessee
- 2027
- 214confirmed
- 2026
- 219
- 2025
- 217
- SF / yr
- 319
- Texas
- 2027
- 219confirmed
- 2026
- 222
- 2025
- 219
- SF / yr
- 1,623
- U.S. students abroad
- 2027
- 223est.
- 2026
- 225
- 2025
- 223
- SF / yr
- 86
- U.S. territories
- 2027
- 208est.
- 2026
- 210
- 2025
- 208
- SF / yr
- 39
- Utah
- 2027
- 211est.
- 2026
- 213
- 2025
- 211
- SF / yr
- 196
- Vermont
- 2027
- 213est.
- 2026
- 216
- 2025
- 215
- SF / yr
- 28
- Virginia
- 2027
- 221est.
- 2026
- 224
- 2025
- 222
- SF / yr
- 437
- Washington
- 2027
- 221est.
- 2026
- 224
- 2025
- 222
- SF / yr
- 348
- West Virginia
- 2027
- 208est.
- 2026
- 210
- 2025
- 209
- SF / yr
- 64
- Wisconsin
- 2027
- 212confirmed
- 2026
- 215
- 2025
- 214
- SF / yr
- 292
- Wyoming
- 2027
- 208est.
- 2026
- 210
- 2025
- 209
- SF / yr
- 24
Source: Compass Education Group, National Merit Semifinalist Cutoffs (Class of 2027), page dated September 5, 2026, retrieved 2026-09-06. NMSC does not publish state cutoffs; "confirmed" means multiple consistent reports, "est." is Compass's most-likely estimate, and numbers may move as reports arrive.
Cutoffs move a few points a year. So can you.
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Commended vs. Semifinalist vs. Finalist
About 50,000 of 1.3 million entrants qualify for recognition.
- Commended or better50,000≈34,000 Commended on the national cutoff.
- Semifinalist16,000Top scorers in each state, under 1%.
- Finalist15,000≈95% of Semifinalists; ≈6,700 win scholarships.
What this means
Commended Student — Meets the national Selection Index cutoff. Receives a Letter of Commendation but does not continue in the main National Merit competition.
Semifinalist — Among the highest-scoring students in their state. About 16,000 students qualify each year and may apply to become Finalists.
Finalist — About 95% of Semifinalists advance after meeting academic and application requirements. Finalists are considered for National Merit Scholarships and other sponsored awards.
Source: College Board & NMSC, 2026 PSAT/NMSQT Student Guide — "National Merit Scholarship Program" section (2028 program). Counts are NMSC's approximate figures: 2,500 National Merit $2,500 Scholarships, about 6,700 Merit Scholarship winners in total once corporate- and college-sponsored awards are counted.
National Merit timeline (October 2026 test)
The 2028 program. NMSC publishes the October testing window; the months after it follow the same pattern every year and are marked expected.
- Oct 2026Take the PSAT/NMSQT as a junior
- Nov 2026Scores out — your Selection Index is on the report· expected
- Apr 2027NMSC sends schools the ~50,000 high scorers· expected
- Sep 2027~16,000 Semifinalists notified (early Sept)· expected
- Sep 2027~34,000 Commended Students notified (late Sept)· expected
- Feb 2028~15,000 Finalists named· expected
- Mar–Jun 2028Scholarship winners announced· expected
What happens at each step
- October 2026 — Take the PSAT/NMSQT in your qualifying year.
- October–November 2026 — Scores are released, including your Selection Index.
- April 2027 — NMSC identifies about 50,000 high-scoring participants for further consideration.
- September 2027 — About 16,000 Semifinalists and 34,000 Commended Students are notified.
- February 2028 — About 15,000 Semifinalists advance to Finalist standing.
- Spring 2028 — National Merit Scholarship winners are announced.
Not a junior yet? Use the PSAT-to-SAT projection to see how your current score compares with recent National Merit cutoffs.
FAQ
Why does the cutoff vary by state?
NMSC allocates roughly 16,000 Semifinalist spots across states based on each state’s share of graduating seniors. Within each state, the highest Selection Index scores fill those spots. That’s why more competitive states can end up with higher cutoffs.
Does NMSC publish the state cutoffs?
No. NMSC does not publish state qualifying scores. State cutoff tables are compiled from student and counselor reports. Compass Prep maintains one of the most widely used trackers and marks each state as confirmed or estimated as reports come in. This page uses those labels.
Can a sophomore qualify for National Merit?
Usually, no. National Merit qualification is based on the PSAT/NMSQT taken in the qualifying year, which is typically junior year. A sophomore score can still be useful for estimating how close you are to your state’s cutoff before the test that counts.
When exactly are scores released, and when do Semifinalist names become public?
From NMSC’s 2026 Student Guide — Scores released (October 22, November 5, or November 12, depending on when your school submits answer sheets). Your Selection Index appears on the score report. About 16,000 Semifinalists notified through their schools — the top scorers in each state. Names released to media mid-September.
Sources: cutoffs compiled from Compass Prep's crowd-sourced tracker (page dated September 5, 2026, retrieved 2026-09-06) — NMSC does not publish state cutoffs · program facts and dates: College Board & NMSC, 2026 PSAT/NMSQT Student Guide.