In addition to helping you determine what areas you need to work on before you take the SAT, your PSAT score can also qualify you for scholarships.

Admittance to the 2022 National Merit Scholarship Program is largely based on your 2020 PSAT/NMSQT score. Due to COVID-19 influencing testing schedules and the number of students who take the PSAT, these cutoff scores may vary slightly. 

Here are the estimated cutoff scores for the class of 2022 by State:

Commended Students, Semifinalists, and Finalists

Commended students are those who perform well on the PSAT, but are not selected to advance to become a National Merit Semifinalist. Although these students are not eligible for scholarship money from the National Merit Scholarship Program, their scores still look impressive to college admissions officers.

Semifinalists are students who reach or surpass the cutoff score for their state. These students are eligible to compete with other Semifinalists in the hopes of becoming a National Merit Finalist. This requires endorsement from their school principal, strong academic performance throughout high school, high SAT scores, and a well-written essay. While these students are not eligible for National Merit Scholarships, many colleges and universities offer their own scholarships for those who reach this level.

Finalists are the only students who are able to receive National Merit Scholarships. While about 95% of Semifinalists go on to become Finalists, only about half of these finalists will receive an official scholarship.

Improving your score

Because your score will help determine whether you qualify for a 2022 National Merit Scholarship, and your score indicates whether or not you are likely to do well on the SAT, it is important that you are well prepared.

Due to COVID-19, this year the National Merit Scholarship Program is also accepting alternate entries based on your SAT score from any official SAT administration from August 2020- June 2021 as long as you complete this form by April 1, 2021.

Earn a SAT score that will boost your chances of becoming a National Merit Scholar when you work with a private tutor through Prep Expert or take one of our SAT prep courses. Enroll in a SAT prep class or online private tutoring today when you visit our website.