National Merit cutoff checker
Enter your PSAT/NMSQT section scores or your Selection Index, pick your state, and see how you compare with the Semifinalist cutoff and the national Commended line. Every state's cutoff for the last two final classes is on the page.
Your PSAT/NMSQT and your state
No account needed
Try a real SAT question
This one is from our 1,804-question bank. A free account opens 120 of them across all 8 domains, with no card required.
Mr. Bingley was good-looking and gentlemanlike; he had a pleasant countenance, and easy, unaffected manners. His sisters were fine women, with an air of decided fashion.
— Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice (1813)
As used in the text, what does the word "countenance" most nearly mean?
Semifinalist cutoffs by state, class of 2026
Students in the class of 2026 took the PSAT/NMSQT in October 2024. The national Commended cutoff was 209. Source: Compass Education Group, National Merit Semifinalist cutoffs (compiled from NMSC announcements) (compassprep.com).
| State | Class of 2025 | Class of 2026 | Class of 2028* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 212 | 212 | 212 |
| Alaska | 212 | 211 | 211 |
| Arizona | 218 | 218 | 218 |
| Arkansas | 213 | 212 | 212 |
| California | 221 | 221 | 221 |
| Colorado | 217 | 217 | 217 |
| Connecticut | 221 | 221 | 221 |
| Delaware | 219 | 219 | 219 |
| District of Columbia | 223 | 223 | 223 |
| Florida | 216 | 216 | 216 |
| Georgia | 218 | 218 | 218 |
| Hawaii | 217 | 216 | 216 |
| Idaho | 214 | 215 | 215 |
| Illinois | 219 | 219 | 219 |
| Indiana | 216 | 216 | 216 |
| Iowa | 212 | 212 | 212 |
| Kansas | 216 | 216 | 216 |
| Kentucky | 214 | 214 | 214 |
| Louisiana | 214 | 214 | 214 |
| Maine | 214 | 213 | 213 |
| Maryland | 221 | 221 | 221 |
| Massachusetts | 222 | 222 | 222 |
| Michigan | 217 | 217 | 217 |
| Minnesota | 217 | 217 | 217 |
| Mississippi | 211 | 211 | 211 |
| Missouri | 215 | 215 | 215 |
| Montana | 211 | 211 | 211 |
| Nebraska | 213 | 213 | 213 |
| Nevada | 214 | 214 | 214 |
| New Hampshire | 216 | 216 | 216 |
| New Jersey | 223 | 223 | 223 |
| New Mexico | 211 | 211 | 211 |
| New York | 220 | 220 | 220 |
| North Carolina | 217 | 217 | 217 |
| North Dakota | 209 | 209 | 209 |
| Ohio | 217 | 217 | 217 |
| Oklahoma | 211 | 212 | 212 |
| Oregon | 218 | 218 | 218 |
| Pennsylvania | 219 | 219 | 219 |
| Rhode Island | 217 | 217 | 217 |
| South Carolina | 213 | 214 | 214 |
| South Dakota | 211 | 212 | 212 |
| Tennessee | 216 | 216 | 216 |
| Texas | 219 | 219 | 219 |
| Utah | 213 | 214 | 214 |
| Vermont | 214 | 213 | 213 |
| Virginia | 221 | 221 | 221 |
| Washington | 220 | 220 | 220 |
| West Virginia | 209 | 209 | 209 |
| Wisconsin | 215 | 215 | 215 |
| Wyoming | 210 | 211 | 211 |
* Estimated: reuses the latest final cutoffs until NMSC announces the class. U.S. students abroad, in territories, and at boarding schools are held to the highest state cutoff.
If you are borderline
- There is nothing to do until September; the PSAT cannot be retaken for National Merit. Spend the wait on the SAT, which Semifinalists need anyway as a confirming score.
- Convert your PSAT with the PSAT to SAT converter to see your same-day SAT equivalent and percentile.
- Check whether the schools on your list publish National Merit scholarships; several large publics offer full tuition to Finalists.
Frequently asked questions
- How is the National Merit Selection Index calculated?
- Divide the PSAT/NMSQT Reading and Writing section score by 10, double it, and add the Math section score divided by 10. A 700 Reading and Writing with a 690 Math is (70 × 2) + 69 = 209. The index runs from 48 to 228; only the PSAT/NMSQT taken in 11th grade counts.
- Why does the cutoff depend on my state?
- NMSC names about 16,000 Semifinalists each year, allocated to states in proportion to their graduating-class size. Each state's cutoff is the Selection Index that produces that state's quota, so states with many high scorers (New Jersey, Massachusetts, California) sit in the low 220s while others sit near 210. Boarding-school and U.S.-abroad students are held to the highest state cutoff.
- When will I know if I made Semifinalist?
- Cutoffs are not announced in advance. NMSC notifies high schools of Semifinalists in early September of the year after the PSAT, and Commended Students are named at the same time. A score from October 2026 is resolved in September 2027, which is why the checker labels the upcoming class as estimated.
- What does Commended mean?
- About 34,000 students above the national Commended cutoff but below their state's Semifinalist cutoff receive a Letter of Commendation. They do not continue to Finalist, but some colleges and corporate sponsors award scholarships on the Commended designation alone.
- Does a high SAT score help with National Merit?
- Only at the Finalist stage: Semifinalists must submit a confirming SAT (or ACT) score that backs up the PSAT performance. The Semifinalist cut itself is the PSAT alone. A strong SAT is worth far more for admissions and merit aid at individual colleges, which is where the plan builder comes in.