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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 98
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 93
1130 98 96 93 92
1120 97 96 92 91
1110 97 95 91 91
1100 97 95 90 90
1090 96 94 89 89
1080 96 94 88 88
1070 95 93 87 87
1060 94 93 86 86
1050 94 92 84 85
1040 93 91 83 84
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 76
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 66
900 69 75 55 64
890 67 74 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 62 38 49
820 50 59 36 47
810 47 57 33 45
800 44 54 31 42
790 41 51 29 40
780 38 49 26 37
770 35 46 24 35
760 32 43 22 33
750 29 40 20 30
740 26 37 18 28
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 21 8 16
670 11 19 7 14
660 9 17 5 13
650 8 16 4 11
640 6 14 4 10
630 5 13 3 9
620 4 11 2 8
610 3 10 2 8
600 3 9 2 7
590 2 8 1 7
580 2 8 1 6
570 1 7 1 6
560 1 7 1 5
550 1- 6 1 5
540 1- 6 1 5
530 1- 5 1 5
520 1- 5 1- 4
510 1- 5 1- 4
500 1- 5 1- 4
490 1- 4 1- 4
480 1- 4 1- 3
470 1- 4 1- 3
460 1- 3 1- 3
450 1- 3 1- 3
440 1- 3 1- 2
430 1- 2 1- 2
420 1- 2 1- 2
410 1- 2 1- 2
400 1- 2 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 98 99 99
620 99 98 99 99
610 99 97 99 98
600 98 97 99 98
590 98 96 99 98
580 97 95 99 97
570 96 95 98 97
560 95 94 98 96
550 94 92 97 95
540 92 91 96 95
530 91 90 94 94
520 89 88 93 92
510 86 86 91 91
500 84 84 88 90
490 81 82 85 87
480 78 80 83 85
470 74 77 79 83
460 71 75 75 80
450 67 72 69 77
440 63 69 63 74
430 58 65 58 70
420 54 62 53 65
410 49 58 50 61
400 44 54 46 55
390 39 49 38 48
380 33 44 30 41
370 27 39 26 35
360 22 35 22 29
350 17 30 19 24
340 13 25 16 20
330 9 21 13 16
320 6 17 11 13
310 4 14 8 11
300 3 11 6 9
290 2 9 5 8
280 1 7 3 6
270 1 6 2 5
260 1 5 2 5
250 1- 4 2 4
240 1- 4 1 4
230 1- 3 1 4
220 1- 3 1- 3
210 1- 3 1- 3
200 1- 2 1- 3
190 1- 2 1- 3
180 1- 2 1- 3
170 1- 2 1- 3
160 1- 2 1- 3
150 1- 2 1- 3
140 1- 2 1- 2
130 1- 2 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+ 98 99 99
660 99 98 99 98
650 99 98 99 98
640 99 97 99 98
630 98 96 98 97
620 97 96 98 97
610 96 95 97 96
600 95 94 97 96
590 94 93 96 95
580 93 91 95 94
570 91 90 94 93
560 89 88 92 92
550 87 87 90 91
540 85 85 88 90
530 82 83 86 88
520 79 81 83 87
510 76 78 80 85
500 73 76 77 82
490 69 73 74 80
480 66 70 69 77
470 62 67 65 74
460 59 64 60 70
450 55 61 55 67
440 51 57 49 63
430 47 54 44 59
420 42 50 39 54
410 38 46 35 50
400 33 42 32 44
390 29 38 27 38
380 25 34 21 32
370 21 30 18 27
360 17 26 15 22
350 13 22 12 18
340 10 18 10 15
330 7 15 8 12
320 4 12 6 10
310 3 10 4 8
300 2 8 3 7
290 1 6 2 6
280 1- 5 2 5
270 1- 4 1 4
260 1- 4 1 4
250 1- 3 1 3
240 1- 3 1- 3
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- 2 1- 2
160 1- 2 1- 2
150 1- 2 1- 2
140 1- 1 1- 2
130 1- 1 1- 2
120 1- 1 1- 1