Where can I find free PSAT prep?
Start with College Board’s practice tests in Bluebook, the app you’ll use on test day. They’re free, and reviewing your results shows which skills to work on next.
For practice between full tests, Hourly Prep’s free plan includes PSAT practice questions and full-length practice tests. They’re fixed forms rather than adaptive like the real PSAT, so keep Bluebook for your test-day rehearsal.
If you only have a few minutes a day, try our 15-minute study routine: choose one skill, practice it, and review a mistake before moving on.
How much are National Merit scholarships worth?
The Fall 2026 PSAT/NMSQT Student Guide lists these award amounts. Each category has its own selection and sponsor requirements.
| Award category | Amount and payment term |
|---|---|
| National Merit $2,500 Scholarship | $2,500 once. |
| Corporate-sponsored Merit Scholarship | $2,500–$10,000 once, or $1,000–$10,000 per year for a renewable award, depending on the sponsor. |
| College-sponsored Merit Scholarship through NMSC | $500–$2,000 per year, renewable for up to four years at the sponsoring college. |
NMSC limits each student to one monetary award from NMSC, so do not add the ranges together. Check any other aid directly with the college.
How is the National Merit Selection Index calculated?
The PSAT/NMSQT total score ranges from 320 to 1520. The separate NMSC Selection Index ranges from 48 to 228. Its formula is:
(2 × Reading and Writing section score + Math section score) ÷ 10
For example, Reading and Writing 700 and Math 650 gives 205: (2 × 700 + 650) ÷ 10. Swap those section scores and the same 1350 total gives 200. Reading and Writing counts twice, so it carries more weight.
Your official score report shows your Selection Index, so you don’t need to calculate it yourself.
What PSAT score qualifies for National Merit in my state?
Semifinalist cutoffs vary by state and year, so compare your score with the right competition year and selection unit. The Commended Student cutoff is a separate national standard, not your state’s Semifinalist cutoff.
The most recent state cutoffs are in NMSC’s guide for the 2027 program, based on the October 2025 PSAT/NMSQT. Use them for context; they don’t set future cutoffs.
If you take the PSAT/NMSQT in fall 2026 and meet the entry requirements, you enter the 2028 competition. As of September 30, 2026, its official Semifinalist cutoffs have not been announced.
Hourly Prep’s estimated National Merit cutoffs for the class of 2028
Updated
The fall 2026 PSAT/NMSQT is the qualifying test for the class of 2028 competition, and NMSC plans to name Semifinalists in September 2027. Until then, these ranges show where each state’s Semifinalist cutoff has landed since the PSAT went digital.
These are Hourly Prep’s own planning ranges built from past cutoffs. They are not official NMSC qualifying scores or a calibrated statistical forecast.
All 50 states and D.C.
| State or district | Low end | High end |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 209 | 215 |
| Alaska | 207 | 216 |
| Arizona | 214 | 219 |
| Arkansas | 209 | 216 |
| California | 219 | 225 |
| Colorado | 216 | 220 |
| Connecticut | 219 | 224 |
| Delaware | 218 | 221 |
| District of Columbia | 222 | 226 |
| Florida | 215 | 220 |
| Georgia | 216 | 221 |
| Hawaii | 216 | 220 |
| Idaho | 210 | 216 |
| Illinois | 217 | 223 |
| Indiana | 214 | 219 |
| Iowa | 209 | 215 |
| Kansas | 211 | 217 |
| Kentucky | 210 | 215 |
| Louisiana | 210 | 217 |
| Maine | 213 | 218 |
| Maryland | 220 | 225 |
| Massachusetts | 220 | 226 |
| Michigan | 215 | 221 |
| Minnesota | 213 | 220 |
| Mississippi | 210 | 214 |
| Missouri | 213 | 218 |
| Montana | 207 | 214 |
| Nebraska | 210 | 215 |
| Nevada | 210 | 215 |
| New Hampshire | 214 | 220 |
| New Jersey | 222 | 226 |
| New Mexico | 208 | 212 |
| New York | 219 | 224 |
| North Carolina | 216 | 221 |
| North Dakota | 207 | 211 |
| Ohio | 215 | 220 |
| Oklahoma | 209 | 213 |
| Oregon | 215 | 220 |
| Pennsylvania | 218 | 222 |
| Rhode Island | 212 | 220 |
| South Carolina | 211 | 216 |
| South Dakota | 207 | 212 |
| Tennessee | 213 | 220 |
| Texas | 218 | 223 |
| Utah | 208 | 214 |
| Vermont | 211 | 217 |
| Virginia | 220 | 225 |
| Washington | 220 | 225 |
| West Virginia | 207 | 211 |
| Wisconsin | 211 | 216 |
| Wyoming | 207 | 211 |
How we built these ranges
For each state and the District of Columbia, we took the lowest and highest reported Semifinalist cutoffs for the classes of 2025, 2026 and 2027. Those are the first three classes to take the digital PSAT/NMSQT, which College Board introduced in fall 2023. We then widened each range by one Selection Index point on both ends.
Historical-data source: Compass Education Group’s reported Semifinalist cutoffs, classes of 2025–2027 only. We did not use its 2028 estimates.
Before you compare your score
- Compare your NMSC Selection Index, which runs from 48 to 228, not your PSAT total score of 320 to 1520. It’s on your official score report.
- Use the Selection Index from your official PSAT/NMSQT report. Hourly Prep practice tests don’t produce a calibrated score or Selection Index.
- Your selection unit is usually the state where you attend school. Boarding schools, schools outside the U.S. and U.S. territories have special rules, so confirm yours with your school or NMSC.
- The ranges are uncalibrated and are not confidence intervals. The actual 2028 cutoff can fall outside them, and no score guarantees Semifinalist standing or a scholarship.
Common questions
Do the PSAT 10 and PSAT 8/9 qualify for National Merit?
No. The PSAT/NMSQT is the qualifying test. NMSC does not consider PSAT 10 or PSAT 8/9 scores for the National Merit Scholarship Program.
Does a high PSAT score guarantee a scholarship?
No. A qualifying score can make you a Semifinalist, but Semifinalists still have to meet further requirements to become Finalists, and scholarship winners are selected after that. Practice helps you prepare; it can’t promise an award.
Is Hourly Prep’s PSAT prep free?
Yes. PSAT practice, including full-length practice tests, is part of Hourly Prep’s free plan.