The PSAT is a practice version of the SAT. Students usually take the PSAT the fall of junior year, but they may also take the PSAT as a sophomore or earlier.
The PSAT doesn’t matter directly for applying to college, but students can use high PSAT scores to win prestigious awards and scholarships.
PSAT scores can also be used to predict SAT scores.
The SAT is the test that students use to apply to colleges. Students typically take their first SAT test as a junior, and they might take the test multiple times until they get the score they want.
PSAT vs SAT:
what’s the difference?
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Key differences between the PSAT and SAT
1. The PSAT doesn’t matter for college, but the SAT does
2. The PSAT counts for National Merit
3. The PSAT and SAT are scored slightly differently
4. The SAT is longer and more challenging than the PSAT
5. The SAT is offered more often than the PSAT
What’s on the PSAT and the SAT
PSAT vs SAT
The PSAT isn’t used for college admissions. Instead, it’s used to see if students are on track to be ready for college, and also to give a sense of how students will later score on the SAT. There are several different versions of the PSAT:
PSAT 8/9: designed for 8th and 9th graders, scored from 240–1440
PSAT 10: the full PSAT test, but administered to 10th graders in the spring, scored from 320–1520
PSAT/NMSQT: the full PSAT test administered to 10th graders and 11th graders in the fall, scored from 320–1520
Note that the PSAT only counts for the National Merit Scholarship competition when it’s taken in 11th grade. Younger students may be able to take the test for practice, but scores in earlier years can’t be used for the National Merit.
All versions of the PSAT are designed to lead up to the SAT, which is the test that students use to when they apply to college as seniors:
SAT: the big college admissions test, usually taken in the spring of 11th grade, scored from 400–1600
The PSAT is nearly identical to the SAT, so it’s a great way to practice for the SAT.
Keep reading to learn the key differences between the PSAT and the SAT, and how to convert PSAT scores into SAT scores.
Key differences between the PSAT and SAT
1. The PSAT doesn’t matter for college, but the SAT does
For most students, scores for the PSAT don’t really matter for college admissions. The only way that PSAT scores can have a direct impact on college admissions is if they score in the top 3% of all the students in their state and win a National Merit award.
Read more: Does the PSAT matter?
The SAT, on the other hand, is used for applying to college. (The other test that students can use for college admissions is the ACT. Both tests are accepted equally by colleges, and students can choose which test they want to take.)
In recent years, many colleges have temporarily enacted test-optional policies. The exact way that colleges are using “optional” test scores varies, but strong test scores will always help chances of admission. The only exception to that rule is the small handful of colleges that are truly test-blind at the moment, meaning that they won’t consider test scores for admissions.
(Want customized advice on whether you should submit your test scores to specific colleges? Reach out to me (Emily) at info@ivybloomacademics.com.)
2. The PSAT counts for National Merit
The one way that PSAT scores can really matter is if students score extremely highly and win an award or scholarship through the National Merit Competition.
All juniors who take the official PSAT in the fall are automatically entered into the National Merit Scholarship Competition.
Students who score in the top 3% in their state may win a Commended award.
Students who score in the top 1% of their state are named a National Merit Semi-Finalist. After an additional application, most Semi-Finalists become Finalists, and a select number of these Finalists are named National Merit Scholars.
National Merit Finalists and Scholars can receive scholarships either directly from the competition or from colleges and universities. Some colleges and universities award automatic scholarships for National Merit students, including even full-ride scholarships!
All of these National Merit awards are highly prestigious and look great on college applications.
This means that while the majority of students can treat the PSAT like a practice SAT, ambitious students who have a real shot at making the cutoff for National Merit should take the PSAT more seriously.
Learn more about the National Merit scholarship competition:
Read more: PSAT cutoff scores for National Merit
If you want to know whether you have a reasonable shot at making the cutoff score for National Merit status, or if you want to aim at achieving that high score on the PSAT, feel free to reach out to me (Emily) at info@ivybloomacademics.com. I was a National Merit Scholar myself and I’ve helped several of my past students achieve this impressive scholarship.
3. The PSAT and SAT are scored differently
The PSAT is scored from 320 to 1520, while the SAT is scored from 400 to 1600.
A score that might be impressive on the PSAT will have to be higher to be equally impressive on the SAT.
For example, a 1370 PSAT score was in 99th percentile of all students taking the test last year, but a 1370 SAT score was only in the 91st percentile. (Still a strong score, but not as exceptional.)
A 1060 PSAT score was in the 75th percentile, meaning that students with a 1060 are in the top quarter of all students taking the PSAT. A 1060 SAT, on the other hand, is in the 55th percentile — just a little above average.
That means that if your score number stays the same from the PSAT to the SAT, you might be in trouble!
Fortunately, most students are able to increase their scores from the PSAT to the SAT. Jump below for predictions of how students will score on the SAT based on their PSAT scores after some test prep.
If you want to raise your SAT score more significantly, make sure that you’re studying and practicing effectively! Grab this free study guide, and reach out at info@ivybloomacademics.com for one-on-one SAT tutoring with an Ivy League grad and award-winning tutor.
4. The SAT is longer and more challenging than the PSAT
The SAT is about 15 minutes longer than the PSAT.
(Note that both the SAT and the PSAT are changing drastically in the 2023–2024 academic year. The fall 2023 PSAT will be the first new Digital PSAT, and the spring 2024 SAT will be the first new Digital SAT. The new digital adaptive version of both tests will be shorter than the old paper versions, because the tests will get easier or harder to match the level of each student.)
The SAT is also a little bit harder than the PSAT.
The types of questions that appear on the SAT are more likely to be challenging, and the pace is a little bit faster. For example, students will have more time to answer each math question on the PSAT than on the SAT.
5. The SAT is offered more often than the PSAT
Typically the PSAT is offered only once per year, in October.
Most students who take the PSAT are juniors, and the PSAT helps them to prepare for taking the SAT for the first time in the winter or spring of their junior year.
Sometimes sophomores or even freshman are invited to take the PSAT as well.
Some schools also offer the PSAT offered in the spring of sophomore year. (Technically this is called the PSAT 10.)
The SAT, on the other hand, is offered on 8 weekends throughout the year. Many schools also offer the SAT during the school day, typically during junior spring and/or senior fall.
Read more here see all of the SAT test dates for 2023 and 2024.
What’s on the PSAT and SAT
The PSAT and SAT both have one half of the test devoted to math and the other half devoted to reading and writing.
For math, the PSAT and SAT test students on concepts from Algebra I, Geometry, and Algebra II. Most of the test involves algebra, with less than 10% of the math questions focused on geometry. The math section will also include some questions about data analysis, interpreting graphs, experimental design, and the scientific method.
For reading and writing, the PSAT and SAT will test students on comprehension and analysis of short excerpts from both fiction and nonfiction works. There will be questions about vocabulary words and the purpose of an individual sentence or paragraph. Students will have to think about how to provide clear evidence to support a particular conclusion, and there will be some questions involving data and scientific experiments.
The reading and writing portion of the PSAT and SAT also includes questions about grammar, punctuation, and clear writing. Students will have to know all of the grammar rules for English and choose the correct version of a sentence.
Get started preparing for the PSAT and SAT by downloading this free study guide:
Each month I help a limited number of students to prepare for these tests in the most effective and efficient way possible. I have over a decade of teaching experience and I’ve developed strategies that really work for helping students to understand the concepts covered by the SAT and gain confidence on the test questions.
If you’d like to start one-on-one PSAT or SAT prep, sign up directly here or email me (Emily) at info@ivybloomacademics.com.
Converting PSAT scores to SAT scores
The PSAT is designed to give students and families a prediction of how they might score on the SAT.
Typically a student’s SAT score is a little higher than their PSAT score. Use this table to predict your SAT score based on your PSAT score:
Converting PSAT scores to SAT scores
| PSAT score | Projected SAT score |
|---|---|
| 400 | 630 |
| 450 | 670 |
| 500 | 710 |
| 550 | 760 |
| 600 | 800 |
| 650 | 840 |
| 700 | 880 |
| 750 | 920 |
| 800 | 970 |
| 850 | 1010 |
| 900 | 1050 |
| 920 | 1070 |
| 940 | 1080 |
| 960 | 1100 |
| PSAT score | Projected SAT score |
|---|---|
| 980 | 1120 |
| 1000 | 1140 |
| 1020 | 1150 |
| 1040 | 1170 |
| 1060 | 1190 |
| 1080 | 1200 |
| 1100 | 1220 |
| 1120 | 1240 |
| 1140 | 1250 |
| 1160 | 1270 |
| 1180 | 1290 |
| 1200 | 1300 |
| 1220 | 1320 |
| 1240 | 1340 |
| PSAT score | Projected SAT score |
|---|---|
| 1260 | 1350 |
| 1280 | 1370 |
| 1300 | 1390 |
| 1320 | 1410 |
| 1340 | 1420 |
| 1360 | 1440 |
| 1380 | 1460 |
| 1400 | 1470 |
| 1420 | 1490 |
| 1440 | 1510 |
| 1460 | 1520 |
| 1480 | 1540 |
| 1500 | 1560 |
| 1520 | 1570 |
How to improve your projected SAT score
Most students want to score better on the SAT than they did on the PSAT.
Fortunately, it’s definitely possible to improve your SAT score with the right practice and review!
Over the past decade, I’ve helped hundreds of students to raise their SAT scores and improve their chances of admission at their dream schools. I’m a Princeton grad who was a top-1% scorer on the SAT on my first try, and I have a lot of great strategies for reaching one’s full potential on the test.
Get started by downloading this free study guide for the SAT:
More of my best SAT advice is available for free here, but I also teach students one-on-one.
With individual test prep, we’re able to immediately target a student’s individual weak spots and find the best strategies that will work for their strengths.
If you’d like to start 100% customized private SAT prep, sign up here or email me (Emily) at info@ivybloomacademics.com.
Happy studying!