PSAT Selection Index Calculator
National Merit doesn’t use your 320–1520 PSAT total. It uses the Selection Index, which counts Reading & Writing twice. Enter your section scores and state to see where you stand against the most recent published cutoffs.
Calculate your Selection Index
Enter both section scores (160–760) to see your Selection Index.
Cutoffs change every year; these are the most recent published (class of 2027, PSAT/NMSQT taken October 2025). Only scores from the junior-year PSAT/NMSQT count for National Merit.
How the Selection Index works
Selection Index = 2 × (Reading & Writing ÷ 10) + (Math ÷ 10). A student with 700 in Reading & Writing and 720 in Math has an index of 2 × 70 + 72 = 212.
Because Reading & Writing is doubled, 10 more points there add 2 to your index, while 10 more Math points add 1. Each section runs 160–760, so the index runs 48–228.
Each fall National Merit names about 50,000 high scorers. Roughly the top third of them become Semifinalists, chosen state by state, so every state has its own cutoff. The rest who clear the single national Commended cutoff are named Commended Students.
National Merit Semifinalist cutoffs by state
Cutoffs change every year; these are the most recent published. Class of 2027 = PSAT/NMSQT taken October 2025 (released September 2026). Class of 2026 = PSAT/NMSQT taken October 2024. Commended: 208 (class of 2027), 210 (class of 2026).
| State | Class of 2027 | Class of 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 210 | 214 |
| Alaska | 208 | 215 |
| Arizona | 215 | 218 |
| Arkansas | 210 | 215 |
| California | 220 | 224 |
| Colorado | 217 | 219 |
| Connecticut | 220 | 223 |
| Delaware | 219 | 220 |
| District of Columbia | 223 | 225 |
| Florida | 216 | 219 |
| Georgia | 217 | 220 |
| Hawaii | 218 | 219 |
| Idaho | 211 | 215 |
| Illinois | 218 | 222 |
| Indiana | 215 | 218 |
| Iowa | 210 | 214 |
| Kansas | 212 | 216 |
| Kentucky | 211 | 214 |
| Louisiana | 211 | 216 |
| Maine | 214 | 217 |
| Maryland | 221 | 224 |
| Massachusetts | 221 | 225 |
| Michigan | 216 | 220 |
| Minnesota | 214 | 219 |
| Mississippi | 211 | 213 |
| Missouri | 214 | 217 |
| Montana | 208 | 213 |
| Nebraska | 212 | 214 |
| Nevada | 211 | 214 |
| New Hampshire | 215 | 219 |
| New Jersey | 223 | 225 |
| New Mexico | 209 | 210 |
| New York | 220 | 223 |
| North Carolina | 217 | 220 |
| North Dakota | 208 | 210 |
| Ohio | 216 | 219 |
| Oklahoma | 210 | 212 |
| Oregon | 216 | 219 |
| Pennsylvania | 219 | 221 |
| Rhode Island | 213 | 219 |
| South Carolina | 212 | 215 |
| South Dakota | 210 | 211 |
| Tennessee | 214 | 219 |
| Texas | 219 | 222 |
| Utah | 209 | 213 |
| Vermont | 212 | 216 |
| Virginia | 221 | 224 |
| Washington | 221 | 224 |
| West Virginia | 208 | 210 |
| Wisconsin | 212 | 215 |
| Wyoming | 208 | 210 |
| U.S. territories | 208 | 210 |
| U.S. citizens studying abroad | 223 | 225 |
Source: National Merit Scholarship Corporation state cutoffs as compiled by Compass Education Group. Boarding-school students are grouped by region and not listed.
Frequently asked questions
- How is the PSAT Selection Index calculated?
- Divide each section score by 10, double the Reading and Writing number, and add the Math number: Selection Index = 2 × (Reading and Writing ÷ 10) + (Math ÷ 10). Section scores run 160–760, so the index runs 48–228.
- What Selection Index do I need to be a National Merit Semifinalist?
- It depends on your state. For the class of 2027 (PSAT/NMSQT taken October 2025), state Semifinalist cutoffs ranged from 208 to 223. The national Commended cutoff was 208.
- Do the cutoffs change every year?
- Yes. National Merit sets new state cutoffs each year once all scores are in, and they usually move by a few points. The class of 2026 Commended cutoff was 210; for the class of 2027 it was 208. Treat the latest cutoffs as a guide, not a guarantee.
- Which PSAT counts for National Merit?
- Only the PSAT/NMSQT you take in the fall of your junior year (11th grade) counts toward the National Merit Scholarship Program. Earlier PSATs are good practice but do not enter you in the competition.