PSAT Selection Index Calculator
Enter your PSAT/NMSQT Reading and Writing and Math section scores to get your National Merit Selection Index, from 48 to 228, using the formula College Board publishes. The calculator shows the working, and tells you what the other section needs for an index you want. Free, no sign-up.
Your PSAT/NMSQT section scores
Each section is scored from 160 to 760 in steps of 10. The index runs from 48 to 228.
Selection Index
209
NMSC Selection Index
1390
Total score
140
Points from Reading and Writing (doubled)
69
Points from Math
(2 × 700 + 690) ÷ 10 = 209
National Merit state cutoffs are set by NMSC each year and differ by state and year. This page does not list or predict them: see the National Merit Scholarship Corporation's website for the published cutoffs.
Work backward from an index
Selection Index by section scores
| Reading and Writing ↓ · Math → | 760 | 720 | 680 | 640 | 600 | 560 | 520 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 760 | 228 | 224 | 220 | 216 | 212 | 208 | 204 |
| 720 | 220 | 216 | 212 | 208 | 204 | 200 | 196 |
| 680 | 212 | 208 | 204 | 200 | 196 | 192 | 188 |
| 640 | 204 | 200 | 196 | 192 | 188 | 184 | 180 |
| 600 | 196 | 192 | 188 | 184 | 180 | 176 | 172 |
| 560 | 188 | 184 | 180 | 176 | 172 | 168 | 164 |
| 520 | 180 | 176 | 172 | 168 | 164 | 160 | 156 |
How to Use the PSAT Selection Index Calculator
- 1. Enter your section scores. Type your Reading and Writing and your Math score from the PSAT/NMSQT score report. Each runs from 160 to 760 in steps of 10.
- 2. Read the index. The calculator doubles the Reading and Writing score, adds Math and divides by 10. The working line shows each step.
- 3. Plan a retake or compare. Enter an index you want and see the lowest Math score, or the lowest Reading and Writing score, that reaches it with the other score held fixed.
- 4. Check the grid. The table at the bottom shows the index for common pairs of section scores.
The Selection Index Formula
College Board describes the NMSC Selection Index for the PSAT/NMSQT this way: your score is calculated by doubling your Reading and Writing score, adding it to your Math score, then dividing that sum by 10 (College Board, What Do My SAT Suite Scores Mean?, retrieved October 2026). Written out:
Selection Index = (2 × Reading and Writing + Math) ÷ 10
With section scores from 160 to 760, the lowest possible index is (2 × 160 + 160) ÷ 10 = 48 and the highest is (2 × 760 + 760) ÷ 10 = 228, which matches the 48–228 scale on the score report. Because section scores come in steps of 10, the index is always a whole number.
| Reading and Writing | Math | Total | Selection Index |
|---|---|---|---|
| 760 | 760 | 1520 | 228 |
| 740 | 700 | 1440 | 218 |
| 700 | 690 | 1390 | 209 |
| 700 | 600 | 1300 | 200 |
| 600 | 700 | 1300 | 190 |
| 600 | 600 | 1200 | 180 |
| 160 | 160 | 320 | 48 |
The two middle rows have the same total of 1300 but different indexes, because Reading and Writing counts twice.
Why Reading and Writing Counts Double
Doubling Reading and Writing means that 10 points there move the index by 2 points, while 10 points in Math move it by 1. A student with 700 in Reading and Writing and 690 in Math has an index of 209, of which 140 points come from Reading and Writing and 69 from Math. Swapping the two scores gives (2 × 690 + 700) ÷ 10 = 208, a point lower for the same total.
Cutoffs Are Not Listed Here
The Selection Index is what the National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC) uses to screen students who enter its scholarship programs, and NMSC sets qualifying scores by state each year. Those cutoffs change from year to year and differ between states, and NMSC's published tables could not be retrieved for this page, so none are shown and none are predicted. Look up the current numbers on NMSC's website, and check the eligibility information on page 2 of your score report.
Frequently Asked Questions
- How is the PSAT Selection Index calculated?
- Double your Reading and Writing section score, add your Math section score, and divide the sum by 10. With 700 in Reading and Writing and 690 in Math, that is (1400 + 690) ÷ 10 = 209.
- What is the highest possible Selection Index?
- 228, which comes from a 760 in both sections: (2 × 760 + 760) ÷ 10. The lowest is 48, from 160 in both sections. The score report shows the index on a scale of 48–228.
- Why is the Selection Index not just my total score divided by 10?
- Because Reading and Writing is counted twice. Two students with the same total can have different indexes, and the one with the higher Reading and Writing score gets the higher index.
- What Selection Index do I need for National Merit?
- There is no single number. NMSC sets qualifying scores for each state and year, and they change. Check NMSC's published cutoffs for your state and year rather than relying on a past figure.
- Can I improve my index more by raising Reading and Writing or Math?
- Ten points of Reading and Writing add 2 to the index, and ten points of Math add 1. A gain of the same size is worth twice as much in Reading and Writing, though the score you can realistically raise depends on where you are starting.
- Is my Selection Index on the score report the same as this calculator's?
- It should match whenever you use the section scores from the same PSAT/NMSQT report, since the formula is the one College Board publishes. If your report shows a different number, trust the report.