PSAT Scores 2026: Release Dates and What They Mean for National Merit

Students taking the PSAT/NMSQT at school this month will get their scores on one of three College Board PSAT score release dates: Oct. 22, Nov. 5 or Nov. 12, 2026. Which date applies depends on when a student's answers are submitted during the Oct. 1–30 testing window, according to College Board's score release schedule, checked on Oct. 9.

The PSAT/NMSQT (Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test) is also the entry test for the National Merit Scholarship Program. Juniors will see a National Merit Selection Index on their score reports, but the state cutoffs that decide who becomes a Semifinalist will not be announced until September 2027, according to the National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC) section of College Board's fall 2026 PSAT/NMSQT Student Guide.

PSAT Score Release Dates for Fall 2026

College Board's schedule for fall in-school testing ties each release date to when students' answers are submitted:

Answers are normally submitted at the end of the digital test in College Board's Bluebook app. Students whose devices are offline at that point work with their school to submit once internet access resumes, the guide says. Students unsure which date applies can ask their school's test coordinator.

School staff see scores in College Board's K–12 reporting portal two days before students do. College Board also tells schools that give the test as part of a state testing program to check with the state on score timing.

How to See Your PSAT Scores

College Board lists two ways to get in-school test scores: the BigFuture School mobile app, or a copy of the score report from your school.

• BigFuture School app. The free app is for U.S. students 13 and older who tested in school. Students who entered a mobile number during exam setup get a text with a download link, then another when scores are ready. College Board says those texts go out from 6 p.m. Eastern, outside school hours. Students who skipped the mobile number can sign in with the test registration number on their test ticket or score report, or get it from a counselor.
• Your school. Every test taker gets an official score report, and schools receive a PDF report for all of their students. College Board says students can "always get your score report from your school."
• Student account. Students 13 and older can use or create a personal College Board student account at studentscores.collegeboard.org to see "additional insights," such as section-level benchmarks, according to the student guide.

Scores can arrive late: College Board may hold a score for review if the student reports a possible error in a test question.

How the National Merit Selection Index Works

A PSAT/NMSQT score report shows a Reading and Writing score and a Math score, each on a 160–760 scale, a total score of 320–1520 and the NMSC Selection Index, on a 48–228 scale.

College Board explains the formula: double the Reading and Writing score, add the Math score, then divide by 10. A student with 700 in Reading and Writing and 650 in Math, for example, would have a Selection Index of (1,400 + 650) ÷ 10 = 205. Because Reading and Writing counts twice, two students with the same total score can have different Selection Index scores.

The guide says the PSAT 10 and PSAT 8/9 "will NOT be considered" for National Merit entry. Students who plan four years of high school, including those dual-enrolled in college courses, enter by testing as juniors. Sophomores on that four-year track who tested this fall must take it again in 2027.

Students who do not want their Selection Index used, for example after a bad test day, must contact NMSC within five days of the test, the guide says.

When National Merit Cutoffs Are Announced

This fall's test is the qualifying test for the 2028 National Merit competition. NMSC's timeline, from the student guide:

• April 2027: NMSC sends principals a list of about 50,000 high scorers, out of roughly 1.3 million entrants, and asks schools to flag eligibility errors.
• Early September 2027: about 16,000 Semifinalists, "the highest-scoring entrants in each state," are notified through their schools.
• Late September 2027: about 34,000 Commended Students are notified through their schools.
• February 2028: Semifinalists who meet further requirements learn they are Finalists.
• March–July 2028: scholarship winners are notified and announced.

The cutoffs are not fixed in advance. Commended Students are named using a "nationally applied" Selection Index score "that may vary from year to year." For Semifinalists, each state gets an allocation based on its share of the nation's graduating seniors. NMSC ranks the state's scores and sets the qualifying score where that allocation is most closely filled, so Semifinalist scores "vary from state to state and from year to year," the guide says.

The most recent round, for the Class of 2027, was announced Sept. 9, 2026, when NMSC named more than 16,000 Semifinalists, the Honolulu Star-Advertiser reported. Compass Education Group, a test-prep company that tracks cutoffs, lists Class of 2027 Semifinalist cutoffs of 223 in New Jersey and Washington, D.C., 220 in California and New York, and 219 in Texas, with a Commended level of 208. Those are Compass's figures for last year's class, not an NMSC publication.

Compass also publishes estimated ranges for the Class of 2028, such as 207 to 212 for the Commended level. The company says that before the test it "can only estimate based on historical figures." These are estimates, not cutoffs.

What to Do When Your Scores Arrive

The following steps are guidance based on College Board and NMSC instructions:

1. Check the National Merit section of your report. It shows your answers to the entry questions and whether your Selection Index will be considered. If a missing or wrong answer makes you ineligible, the guide says to update your record with NMSC online by Oct. 15, 2027.
2. Treat your Selection Index as a data point, not a verdict. Past cutoffs give context; this year's have not been set.
3. Use the Knowledge and Skills section. College Board says it shows your performance in eight content areas so you can decide what to practice. A study plan for the SAT can build on it.
4. Plan for the SAT or ACT if you are a junior. To become Finalists, Semifinalists must earn SAT or ACT scores that "confirm the PSAT/NMSQT performance," complete an application with an essay and be endorsed by their principal.
5. Watch for scams. The guide warns of callers posing as College Board or NMSC staff who ask for card or Social Security numbers. Both say they do not make unsolicited calls or send emails asking for such information.
6. Ask your counselor if your score is missing. Schools receive every student's report.
7. If you missed the test, write to NMSC as soon as possible after the window closes to request another route of entry. Requests must be received or postmarked by April 1, 2027.