What’s a Good PSAT Score 2018

Did you just get your PSAT score back and are you wondering what this means for you?

First, it’s important to remember, for most students, the PSAT is JUST PRACTICE! You won’t submit this score to any colleges. The tests only really matters for students scoring in the top 2-3% who may qualify for awards or scholarships from it.

For everyone, though, the PSAT is a great way to gauge your potential performance on the SAT. Evaluating your PSAT score can also help you in making a prep plan. When you understand your performance, you can figure out how much time to commit to get the SAT or ACT score you really want!

Admittedly, PSAT scoring can be a bit confusing. While the PSAT is out of 1520, the SAT is out of 1600!  How do the two compare? And what about the ACT?

To answer those questions, I’ve compiled the chart below that matches the percentile from junior year PSAT takers to SAT and ACT users so you can get a predictive idea of what your PSAT score means. Remember, SAT and ACT users are more likely to be further along in their studies and to have prepped more than PSAT takers. Still, if you’re not where you want to be, now is the time to get some perspective and plan ahead!

In this blog, we’ll go in depth on what a good score looks like. And if you’re not plugged in yet, subscribe to our Youtube channel!

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Here’s a quick breakdown of what makes a good PSAT score:

DECENT PSAT SCORE:

A decent score meets the benchmark for the College Board: 75% chance you won’t flunk any classes freshman year of college. That lands typically around the 50th percentile on these tests. For the PSAT that’s a 970 for juniors (510 Math / 460 Verbal) and a 910 for sophomores (480 Math / 430 Verbal). This kind of a score will likely translate to an SAT score that will get you into some four year colleges.

A GOOD PSAT SCORE:

A good score on the PSAT would equate to around a 1190-1200 on the SAT. This score is enough to get you into some nationally recognized state universities with moderately competitive admissions. These schools likely have a 40-70% rate of applicants accepted (ballpark for admissions percentages). This equates to approximately the 75th percentile on the PSAT: 1150 for juniors or a 1050 for sophomores.

A VERY GOOD PSAT SCORE:

A very good score on the PSAT would equate to around a 1400 on the SAT– enough to get you into some top 50 ranked or competitive admissions schools. These schools most likely have admission rates in the 20-40% range. This is about the 95th percentile, or a 1360 on the PSAT for juniors or 1250 for sophomores.

AN EXCELLENT SCORE:

An excellent PSAT score represents the top 1% of test takers, commensurate with at least a 1500-1550 SAT score. On the PSAT this would be between a 1460-1520 as a junior or 1370-1520 as a sophomore.  The upper range of this score band is enough to complete a strong application to top 10 or top 20 schools, with admission rates below 20%. Still, these top colleges are extremely competitive. Remember, an excellent test score is only one component of your application.

If you’re not happy with your PSAT score, the best thing to do now is PREP! SupertutorTV has complete video based prep solutions from a perfect scoring tutor for both the SAT and ACT at SupertutorTV.com. And check out our YouTube Channel to keep up with all the related news and tips for college readiness!

How do ACT, SAT and PSAT scores compare?

Check out this concordance table to see the correlation in the different scoring systems, updated December 2018. Note that for ACT these scores are equivalent, but the PSAT/SAT and ACT are two completely different test types. Though the PSAT is a good predictor of your SAT score, it’s not necessarily a good predictor of your ACT score. You’ll need to take a practice ACT test at home or the PreACT for 10th graders if you’d like to estimate that. You can then compare that ACT score to your PSAT score using this chart to see if might have a natural advantage on one test or the other.

Note: * indicates best correlation between SAT/ACT scores. All scores were correlated using User Percentile of Junior Year PSAT Users, SAT Users, and ACT Users (2018 data) from College Board and ACT.

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