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PSAT 8/9 Nationally Representative and User Percentiles

A student's percentile rank represents the percentage of students who score equal to or lower than their score. For example, if a student's score is in the 75th percentile, about 75% of a comparison group achieved scores at or below that student’s score. Percentile ranks are provided on this site for Total and Section scores, based on two different reference populations for each grade:

  1. Nationally representative percentiles are derived from a research study of U.S. students in the eighth or ninth grade and are weighted to represent all U.S. students in those grades, regardless of whether they typically take the PSAT 8/9.
  2. User group percentiles are based on the actual scores of students who took the PSAT 8/9 in the past three school years.

Percentiles for Total Scores

  8TH GRADE 9TH GRADE
Total Score Nationally Representative Percentiles User Group Percentiles Nationally Representative Percentiles User Group Percentiles
1440 99+ 99+ 99+ 99+
1430 99+ 99+ 99+ 99+
1420 99+ 99+ 99+ 99+
1410 99+ 99+ 99+ 99+
1400 99+ 99+ 99+ 99+
1390 99+ 99+ 99+ 99+
1380 99+ 99+ 99+ 99+
1370 99+ 99+ 99+ 99
1360 99+ 99+ 99+ 99
1350 99+ 99+ 99+ 99
1340 99+ 99+ 99+ 99
1330 99+ 99+ 99+ 99
1320 99+ 99+ 99+ 99
1310 99+ 99 99+ 99
1300 99+ 99 99 99
1290 99+ 99 99 98
1280 99+ 99 99 98
1270 99+ 99 99 98
1260 99+ 99 99 98
1250 99+ 99 99 97
1240 99+ 99 98 97
1230 99 99 98 97
1220 99 98 98 96
1210 99 98 98 96
1200 99 98 97 96
1190 99 98 97 95
1180 99 98 96 95
1170 98 97 96 94
1160 98 97 95 94
1150 98 97 94 93
1140 98 96 94 92
1130 98 96 93 92
1120 97 96 92 91
1110 97 95 91 90
1100 97 95 90 90
1090 96 94 89 89
1080 96 94 88 88
1070 95 93 87 87
1060 94 92 86 86
1050 94 92 84 85
1040 93 91 83 84
1030 92 90 81 83
1020 91 90 80 82
1010 89 89 78 81
1000 88 88 76 80
990 86 87 74 78
980 85 86 72 77
970 83 85 70 76
960 80 84 68 74
950 78 82 66 73
940 77 81 64 71
930 75 80 62 69
920 73 78 60 68
910 71 77 57 66
900 69 75 55 64
890 67 73 53 62
880 65 72 50 60
870 62 70 48 58
860 60 68 46 56
850 57 66 43 54
840 55 64 41 52
830 52 61 38 49
820 50 59 36 47
810 47 56 33 45
800 44 54 31 42
790 41 51 29 40
780 38 48 26 37
770 35 45 24 35
760 32 42 22 32
750 29 40 20 30
740 26 37 18 27
730 23 34 16 25
720 21 31 14 23
710 19 29 12 21
700 16 26 11 19
690 14 24 9 17
680 13 22 8 16
670 11 20 7 14
660 9 18 5 13
650 8 16 4 12
640 6 15 4 11
630 5 13 3 10
620 4 12 2 9
610 3 11 2 8
600 3 10 1 8
590 2 9 1 7
580 2 9 1 6
570 1 8 1 6
560 1 7 1- 6
550 1- 7 1- 5
540 1- 7 1- 5
530 1- 6 1- 5
520 1- 6 1- 4
510 1- 6 1- 4
500 1- 5 1- 4
490 1- 5 1- 4
480 1- 5 1- 4
470 1- 5 1- 3
460 1- 4 1- 3
450 1- 4 1- 3
440 1- 3 1- 3
430 1- 3 1- 2
420 1- 3 1- 2
410 1- 2 1- 2
400 1- 2 1- 1
390 1- 2 1- 1
380 1- 1 1- 1
370 1- 1 1- 1
360 1- 1 1- 1
350 1- 1 1- 1
340 1- 1 1- 1
330 1- 1 1- 1
320 1- 1 1- 1
310 1- 1 1- 1
300 1- 1 1- 1
290 1- 1 1- 1
280 1- 1 1- 1
270 1- 1 1- 1
260 1- 1 1- 1-
250 1- 1 1- 1-
240 1- 1- 1- 1-

8th Grade Percentiles for Section Scores

  Evidence-Based Reading and Writing Math
Section Score Nationally Representative Percentiles User Group Percentiles Nationally Representative Percentiles User Group Percentiles
720 99+ 99+ 99+ 99+
710 99+ 99+ 99+ 99+
700 99+ 99+ 99+ 99+
690 99+ 99 99+ 99+
680 99+ 99 99+ 99+
670 99+ 99 99+ 99+
660 99+ 99 99+ 99
650 99+ 99 99+ 99
640 99 98 99 99
630 99 98 99 99
620 99 97 99 99
610 99 97 99 99
600 98 96 99 98
590 98 96 99 98
580 97 95 99 97
570 96 94 98 97
560 95 93 98 96
550 94 92 97 96
540 92 91 96 95
530 91 89 94 94
520 89 88 93 92
510 86 86 91 91
500 84 84 88 90
490 81 82 85 88
480 78 79 83 86
470 74 77 79 84
460 71 74 75 81
450 67 71 69 79
440 63 68 63 75
430 58 65 58 72
420 54 61 53 67
410 49 57 50 62
400 44 53 46 57
390 39 48 38 50
380 33 42 30 44
370 27 37 26 37
360 22 32 22 31
350 17 28 19 25
340 13 24 16 21
330 9 20 13 17
320 6 16 11 13
310 4 13 8 11
300 3 11 6 9
290 2 9 5 7
280 1 7 3 6
270 1 6 2 5
260 1 5 2 5
250 1- 5 2 4
240 1- 4 1 4
230 1- 4 1 4
220 1- 3 1- 4
210 1- 3 1- 4
200 1- 3 1- 3
190 1- 3 1- 3
180 1- 3 1- 3
170 1- 3 1- 3
160 1- 2 1- 3
150 1- 2 1- 3
140 1- 2 1- 3
130 1- 2 1- 3
120 1- 1 1- 2

9th Grade Percentiles for Section Scores

  Evidence-Based Reading and Writing Math
Section Score Nationally Representative Percentiles User Group Percentiles Nationally Representative Percentiles User Group Percentiles
720 99+ 99+ 99+ 99+
710 99+ 99 99+ 99+
700 99+ 99 99+ 99
690 99+ 99 99+ 99
680 99+ 98 99+ 99
670 99+ 98 99 99
660 99 97 99 99
650 99 97 99 98
640 99 96 99 98
630 98 96 98 98
620 97 95 98 97
610 96 94 97 97
600 95 93 97 96
590 94 92 96 95
580 93 91 95 95
570 91 89 94 94
560 89 88 92 92
550 87 86 90 91
540 85 85 88 90
530 82 83 86 88
520 79 80 83 86
510 76 78 80 84
500 73 75 77 82
490 69 73 74 80
480 66 70 69 77
470 62 66 65 75
460 59 63 60 72
450 55 60 55 68
440 51 57 49 65
430 47 54 44 61
420 42 50 39 56
410 38 46 35 51
400 33 41 32 45
390 29 37 27 39
380 25 32 21 34
370 21 28 18 28
360 17 24 15 23
350 13 20 12 19
340 10 17 10 15
330 7 14 8 12
320 4 12 6 10
310 3 10 4 8
300 2 8 3 7
290 1 7 2 6
280 1- 5 2 5
270 1- 5 1 4
260 1- 4 1 4
250 1- 3 1 3
240 1- 3 1- 3
230 1- 3 1- 3
220 1- 3 1- 3
210 1- 2 1- 3
200 1- 2 1- 3
190 1- 2 1- 3
180 1- 2 1- 3
170 1- 2 1- 2
160 1- 2 1- 2
150 1- 2 1- 2
140 1- 2 1- 2
130 1- 2 1- 2
120 1- 1 1- 1