What is a good score on the PSAT and the SAT?
Each of the three sections of the PSAT is scored on a scale of 20 to 80. According to the College Board, the average score for 11th graders in 2009 was 47 in critical reading, 48 in math and 46 in writing skills. The average 10th-grade score was about 42 in critical reading, 43 in math, and 41 in writing. If you are in 11th grade, your score report will include a “selection index” – your scores on the three sections combined – used to determine whether you are eligible to win money through the National Merit Scholarship Corporation programs. The average selection index for 11th graders is 141 on a scale of 20 to 240. Your score report will also tell you where you fall in a national percentile ranking against other students in your grade. If you fall, for example, in the 55th percentile, you scored higher than 55 of every 100 students your age and lower than 44. On the SAT, the three sections are scored on scales of 200 to 800. About.com reports that the average total score is 1,538: 52
