PSAT 8/9 score calculator
Estimate your PSAT 8/9 section scores (120–720) and total (240–1440) from the number of questions you answered correctly in each module. Compare against 8th or 9th graders.
By Kim Strauch · Last updated · Free, no signup required
Enter your correct answers
Count the questions you got right in each module. Your module 1 score decides which module 2 you would see, so the estimate changes if module 1 drops below the routing point.
Estimated PSAT 8/9 score
950
Likely range 930–1010 · Scale 240–1440
72nd percentile
Reading and Writing
470
Range 460–500 · Scale 120–720
67th percentile
Harder module 2
Math
480
Range 470–510 · Scale 120–720
77th percentile
Harder module 2
This is an estimate.
Take a free full-length adaptive test to see your real score and a personalized plan for exactly where to focus.
How PSAT 8/9 scoring works
Scoring happens in two steps. First you get a raw score for each section, which is just the number of questions you answered correctly. Then College Board converts each raw score to a scaled section score from 120 to 720. The two section scores add up to your total, from 240 to 1440.
Raw scores: every correct answer counts
Reading and Writing has 54 questions and Math has 44. There is no penalty for a wrong answer, so a blank is the only guaranteed zero. Curious how much room you have? See how many questions you can miss on the SAT.
Answer every question. A guess can earn a point; a blank never will. For smarter guessing, read which test-taking strategies actually work.
Section structure at a glance
| Section | Modules | Questions | Time | Score scale |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reading and Writing | 2 | 54 (27 per module) | 64 min | 120–720 |
| Math | 2 | 44 (22 per module) | 70 min | 120–720 |
| Total | 4 | 98 | 2 hr 14 min | 240–1440 |
Adaptive testing: how module 2 is chosen
The PSAT 8/9 adapts once per section. Everyone starts with a module 1 of mixed difficulty. How you do there decides whether your module 2 is the harder or the easier version.
The harder module 2 is the only path to the top of the scale. On the easier version, even a perfect module 2 tops out well below the maximum. This calculator caps an easier-route section at 650. For the full picture, read how digital SAT adaptive scoring works.
Module 1 carries extra weight. Careless misses early can lock you out of the harder module 2, so pace yourself to finish module 1 accurately.
Practicing for an adaptive test
Take full-length practice tests under real test conditions. Sharp has three full-length SAT practice tests, written to match the denser passages, harder vocabulary and indirect phrasing on today's test. College Board's Bluebook app has official adaptive practice tests, and our free Chrome extension imports your Bluebook results into Sharp so you can see which skills cost you points.
Our guide to getting the most from SAT practice tests explains how to review them, and using Desmos on the SAT can save time in Math.
Score ranges and scaling
Each test date uses a slightly different conversion, a process called equating, so the same raw score can map to different scaled scores on different forms. That is why College Board's own paper tables give a range, and why this calculator shows one too.
The chart below shows the estimated section score for each number of correct answers if you reach the harder module 2. When a section is on the harder route, its row is highlighted.
| Correct answers | Reading and Writing | Math |
|---|---|---|
| 54 | 710–720 | — |
| 53 | 700 | — |
| 52 | 680–710 | — |
| 51 | 630–700 | — |
| 50 | 610–680 | — |
| 49 | 600–670 | — |
| 48 | 580–640 | — |
| 47 | 550–610 | — |
| 46 | 540–610 | — |
| 45 | 530–590 | — |
| 44 | 520–580 | 710–720 |
| 43 | 510–570 | 690–700 |
| 42 | 490–540 | 680–690 |
| 41 | 480–530 | 650–670 |
| 40 | 480–520 | 630–700 |
| 39 | 470–510 | 610–670 |
| 38 | 460–500 | 590–660 |
| 37 | 450–490 | 560–620 |
| 36 | 440–480 | 550–610 |
| 35 | 430–470 | 530–590 |
| 34 | 430–470 | 520–580 |
| 33 | 410–450 | 510–570 |
| 32 | 410–450 | 490–540 |
| 31 | 400–440 | 480–520 |
| 30 | 390–430 | 470–510 |
| 29 | 380–420 | 460–500 |
| 28 | 370–410 | 440–480 |
| 27 | 370–410 | 430–470 |
| 26 | 360–400 | 420–460 |
| 25 | 350–390 | 410–450 |
| 24 | 340–380 | 390–430 |
| 23 | 340–380 | 390–430 |
| 22 | 330–370 | 380–420 |
| 21 | 330–370 | 380–420 |
| 20 | 320–360 | 370–410 |
| 19 | 310–350 | 360–400 |
| 18 | 310–350 | 350–390 |
| 17 | 300–340 | 350–390 |
| 16 | 290–340 | 340–380 |
| 15 | 260–320 | 330–370 |
| 14 | 240–310 | 320–360 |
| 13 | 230–310 | 320–360 |
| 12 | 210–280 | 310–350 |
| 11 | 190–260 | 300–340 |
| 10 | 190–260 | 290–330 |
| 9 | 180–250 | 270–320 |
| 8 | 170–240 | 250–310 |
| 7 | 160–230 | 220–290 |
| 6 | 140–210 | 180–260 |
| 5 | 130–200 | 160–240 |
| 4 | 130–190 | 150–210 |
| 3 | 130–180 | 130–190 |
| 2 | 120–160 | 120–160 |
| 1 | 120–140 | 120–140 |
| 0 | 120 | 120 |
PSAT 8/9 score percentiles: where do you rank?
A percentile shows the share of test takers who scored at or below a given score. The typical 9th grade PSAT 8/9 taker scores about 840.
| Total score | 9th grade percentile | 8th grade percentile |
|---|---|---|
| 1440 | 99+ | 99+ |
| 1390 | 99+ | 99+ |
| 1340 | 99+ | 99+ |
| 1290 | 98th | 99+ |
| 1240 | 97th | 99+ |
| 1190 | 95th | 98th |
| 1140 | 93rd | 96th |
| 1090 | 89th | 94th |
| 1040 | 84th | 91st |
| 990 | 78th | 87th |
| 940 | 71st | 81st |
| 890 | 62nd | 74th |
| 840 | 52nd | 64th |
| 790 | 40th | 51st |
| 740 | 28th | 37th |
| 690 | 17th | 24th |
| 640 | 10th | 14th |
| 590 | 7th | 8th |
| 540 | 5th | 6th |
| 490 | 4th | 4th |
| 440 | 2nd | 3rd |
What is a good PSAT 8/9 score?
The typical 9th grader scores about 840 and the typical 8th grader about 790. Use the grade toggle in the calculator to see where you rank.
The PSAT 8/9 is a starting point, not a college admissions test. It shows which skills to build before the PSAT/NMSQT and SAT.
The next step is the PSAT 10 in the spring of 10th grade; estimate it with the PSAT 10 score calculator.
Advanced middle schoolers can read our guide to the SAT for gifted middle schoolers, and parents can learn how to interpret a PSAT score. Scores share the SAT's scale, so the SAT score calculator shows what the next step up looks like.
Compare every PSAT tool on the PSAT score calculators hub.
Frequently asked questions
What is the PSAT 8/9?
It's the first test in College Board's SAT Suite, taken by 8th and 9th graders. It measures the same skills as the SAT at a level suited to younger students.
How is the PSAT 8/9 scored?
Reading and Writing and Math are each scored from 120 to 720, for a total from 240 to 1440. There's no penalty for wrong answers.
Do colleges see PSAT 8/9 scores?
No. The PSAT 8/9 isn't used in college admissions. It's a tool for tracking progress and planning what to practice.
Does the PSAT 8/9 count for National Merit?
No. Only the PSAT/NMSQT taken in 11th grade qualifies students for National Merit.
How does the PSAT 8/9 compare with the PSAT 10 and SAT?
All of them share one vertical score scale, so the same score reflects the same skill level. The PSAT 8/9 simply tops out lower (1440), the PSAT 10 and PSAT/NMSQT at 1520, and the SAT at 1600.
Sources
- College Board paper PSAT 8/9 practice test scoring guides: #1, #2, #3
- College Board: user group percentiles
SAT, PSAT/NMSQT, PSAT 10 and PSAT 8/9 are trademarks of College Board. National Merit is a trademark of National Merit Scholarship Corporation. Sharp is not affiliated with or endorsed by these organizations.