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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 99 98 96
1210 99 98 98 96
1200 99 98 97 96
1190 99 98 97 95
1180 99 98 96 95
1170 98 98 96 95
1160 98 97 95 94
1150 98 97 94 94
1140 98 97 94 93
1130 98 96 93 92
1120 97 96 92 92
1110 97 96 91 91
1100 97 95 90 90
1090 96 95 89 89
1080 96 94 88 89
1070 95 94 87 88
1060 94 93 86 87
1050 94 92 84 86
1040 93 92 83 85
1030 92 91 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 75
960 80 84 68 74
950 78 82 66 72
940 77 81 64 71
930 75 80 62 69
920 73 78 60 67
910 71 77 57 65
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 57 33 45
800 44 54 31 42
790 41 52 29 40
780 38 49 26 38
770 35 46 24 35
760 32 43 22 33
750 29 40 20 30
740 26 37 18 28
730 23 34 16 26
720 21 32 14 23
710 19 29 12 21
700 16 26 11 19
690 14 23 9 17
680 13 21 8 15
670 11 19 7 14
660 9 17 5 12
650 8 15 4 11
640 6 13 4 9
630 5 12 3 8
620 4 10 2 7
610 3 9 2 7
600 3 8 1 6
590 2 7 1 5
580 2 6 1 5
570 1 6 1 4
560 1 5 1- 4
550 1- 5 1- 4
540 1- 4 1- 3
530 1- 4 1- 3
520 1- 4 1- 3
510 1- 3 1- 3
500 1- 3 1- 2
490 1- 3 1- 2
480 1- 3 1- 2
470 1- 3 1- 2
460 1- 2 1- 2
450 1- 2 1- 2
440 1- 2 1- 1
430 1- 2 1- 1
420 1- 1 1- 1
410 1- 1 1- 1
400 1- 1 1- 1
390 1- 1 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 99 99 99
630 99 99 99 99
620 99 98 99 99
610 99 98 99 98
600 98 97 99 98
590 98 97 99 98
580 97 96 99 97
570 96 95 98 97
560 95 94 98 96
550 94 93 97 96
540 92 92 96 95
530 91 90 94 94
520 89 89 93 93
510 86 87 91 91
500 84 85 88 90
490 81 83 85 87
480 78 80 83 85
470 74 78 79 82
460 71 75 75 79
450 67 72 69 76
440 63 69 63 73
430 58 66 58 69
420 54 62 53 64
410 49 58 50 59
400 44 54 46 53
390 39 50 38 46
380 33 45 30 40
370 27 41 26 33
360 22 36 22 28
350 17 31 19 23
340 13 26 16 19
330 9 22 13 15
320 6 17 11 13
310 4 13 8 10
300 3 10 6 8
290 2 7 5 7
280 1 6 3 6
270 1 5 2 5
260 1 4 2 5
250 1- 3 2 4
240 1- 3 1 4
230 1- 2 1 3
220 1- 2 1- 3
210 1- 2 1- 2
200 1- 2 1- 2
190 1- 2 1- 2
180 1- 2 1- 2
170 1- 1 1- 2
160 1- 1 1- 2
150 1- 1 1- 2
140 1- 1 1- 2
130 1- 1 1- 2
120 1- 1 1- 1

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+ 99 99+ 99
670 99+ 99 99 98
660 99 99 99 98
650 99 98 99 98
640 99 98 99 97
630 98 97 98 97
620 97 96 98 97
610 96 95 97 96
600 95 94 97 96
590 94 93 96 95
580 93 92 95 94
570 91 90 94 93
560 89 89 92 92
550 87 87 90 92
540 85 85 88 90
530 82 83 86 89
520 79 81 83 87
510 76 78 80 85
500 73 75 77 82
490 69 73 74 79
480 66 70 69 76
470 62 67 65 73
460 59 64 60 69
450 55 60 55 65
440 51 57 49 62
430 47 53 44 59
420 42 50 39 53
410 38 46 35 49
400 33 42 32 43
390 29 38 27 37
380 25 34 21 31
370 21 30 18 26
360 17 27 15 22
350 13 23 12 18
340 10 19 10 15
330 7 15 8 12
320 4 12 6 10
310 3 9 4 8
300 2 7 3 6
290 1 5 2 6
280 1- 4 2 5
270 1- 3 1 4
260 1- 3 1 4
250 1- 2 1 3
240 1- 2 1- 3
230 1- 2 1- 2
220 1- 2 1- 2
210 1- 1 1- 2
200 1- 1 1- 2
190 1- 1 1- 2
180 1- 1 1- 2
170 1- 1 1- 1
160 1- 1 1- 1
150 1- 1 1- 1
140 1- 1 1- 1
130 1- 1 1- 1
120 1- 1- 1- 1