PSAT/NMSQT® State Cutoff Calculator

1. Calculate your Selection Index (SI) if you don't know it

Your Selection Index is the number that's used to determine whether you qualify for recognition in the National Merit Scholarship Program.

You can find your Selection Index by looking in your PSAT Score Report or by using the calculator below.

Your Evidence-Based Reading and Writing Score (160 to 760):
Your Math Score (160 to 760):
Your NMSC Selection Index (48 to 228):

2. Determine whether you'll be commended

Students who meet or exceed the commended cutoff for their year receive a Letter of Commendation at the very least.

Unlike the semifinalist cutoffs, the commended cutoff is nationwide and does not vary by state.

Out of 1.5 million entrants, only 50,000 are considered high scorers, from which only 34,000 are commended.

Digital PSAT Paper PSAT (48 to 228 SI Range) Old PSAT (60 to 240 SI Range)
Class of 202520242023202220212020201920182017201620152014201320122011201020092008
Commended SI Cutoff 208207207207209212212211209202201203200202201201200200

3. Determine whether you'll be a Semifinalist

Semifinalist status is determined on a per-state basis.

You'll find out whether you qualify as a semifinalist in late September.

Only 16,000 of the 34,000 commended students make it to this step. However, there is still the finalist round to get through before any scholarships are given. Whether you get through the finalist round depends on other criteria. Full details can be found on the official site.

The table below gives the historical semifinalist cutoffs for each state.

State Semifinalist SI Cutoffs
*Our Estimated Prediction
Digital PSAT Paper PSAT (48 to 228 SI Range) Old PSAT (60 to 240 SI Range)
State
Class of
2025*
Class of
2024*
Class of
2023*
Class of
2022*
Class of
2021*
Class of
2020*
Class of
2019*
Class of
2018*
Class of
2017*
Class of
2016*
Class of
2015*
Class of
2014*
Class of
2013*
Class of
2012*
Class of
2011*
Class of
2010*
Class of
2009*
Class of
2008*
Alabama 211*210212212212216216216215209207211209211210208209209
Alaska 211*209210208212213215217213206210212204212214211212213
Arizona 216*216214218218219220220219215213214212213209210209211
Arkansas 210*210210211212214214215213204206205202205203203204201
California 222*221220221221222223222221223222223220221219218217218
Colorado 217*216217217217220221220218215213215212215212213213213
Connecticut 221*221221220220221222221220220220221218220219218218217
Delaware 220*219218220219220222221218216215218215217215219219219
District of Columbia 223*223223224222223223223222225224224221223223221221223
Florida 216*216216217216219219219217214211214211214210211211212
Georgia 217*217218219219220220220219218215217214218215214215214
Hawaii 217*217215217217219220220217214214215211216215214216213
Idaho 213*211215214214215214216214208211211207211208209208204
Illinois 219*219219218219221221221219215215216213216214214214213
Indiana 217*216214215215218219219217213212215211214212211213213
Iowa 211*210212211212215216216215208207210207210209209210209
Kansas 215*214214215214218218219217213213216212214211211211212
Kentucky 212*211212212214217218217215210210211208212208209209208
Louisiana 215*214213213212215217216214211208209209209210207208206
Maine 214*213215211213215217215214211212215210212213213212211
Maryland 222*221222224221222223222221222221223219221220221220221
Massachusetts 222*222220221222223223222222223223224221223223221221223
Michigan 217*217218217216219219219216210210210207210209209209209
Minnesota 216*216216218218219220220219214215215213215213215214213
Mississippi 211*209210213211214215213212209207207204205205203201202
Missouri 214*214213214214217217217216209209213210213210211213211
Montana 209*209207208210214214214210204206207203209208204208207
Nebraska 211*210212210213216216215215209209209207209210207206207
Nevada 213*211210214215218218217214211208212208209208202206208
New Hampshire 216*215213214215218219217216213212214211216214213211215
New Jersey 223*223223222222223223223222225224224221223221221220221
New Mexico 209*207208210211213215215213208210210208210206208209208
New York 220*220219220220221221221219219218219215219217218216219
North Carolina 218*217217218217219220219218215212215213217214214215214
North Dakota 208*207209207209212212211209202201204200204202202201202
Ohio 216*216216215215218219219217215213215212214212211213211
Oklahoma 210*208211210211214215216213208206210206209206207208207
Oregon 217*216216220217220221220219215217218213216215213213213
Pennsylvania 219*219218218217220220219218217216217214215216214213214
Rhode Island 216*215216213216218220216217212212216211213211217213212
South Carolina 211*209213213212215216217215211209210208211208211212210
South Dakota 210*209212210209214215215209202203206204206205205205203
Tennessee 216*217215215215219219218218212212212210214212213213213
Texas 219*219219220219221221221220220218219216219215216215215
Utah 211*209211212212215215216215206208208205208203206203202
Vermont 213*212213211212216216217215214213217214217212213213216
Virginia 221*219221221221222222222221222219222217220218218219217
Washington 220*220220220220221222222220219219220216220218217217215
West Virginia 209*207207207209212212211209202201203200204202203203200
Wisconsin 214*213213214213216216217215208208210207209209207210208
Wyoming 208*207207208209212212213209202204203200204202201201200

4. State-specific Statistics

Select Your State:

Year-over-year cutoff changes

Here is the distribution of year-over-year semifinalist cutoff changes for Alabama since the adoption of the current 48 to 228 selection index scale (class of 2017 onwards):

← −3 −2 −1 0 1 2 3 →
14%14%0%57%14%0%0%
So, for example, Alabama's semifinalist cutoff has
  • decreased by 2 year-over-year 14% of the time.
  • stayed the same year-over-year 57% of the time.
  • increased by 3 or more year-over-year 0% of the time.
Correlation to changes in the commended cutoff
The commended cutoff has most recently increased year-over-year. Based on past data (from the class of 2017 onwards), when the commended cutoff increased, Alabama's semifinalist cutoff:
  • increased 50% of the time.
  • stayed the same 50% of the time.
  • decreased 0% of the time.