Blog/PSAT Percentiles 2026: Full Chart for 10th and 11th Grade
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PSAT Percentiles 2026: Full Chart for 10th and 11th Grade
PSAT percentiles for 2026: College Board's user and nationally representative chart for 10th and 11th grade, section scores, and National Merit context.
Larry Learns Team
A PSAT percentile tells you what share of students scored at or below you. On College Board's current PSAT/NMSQT tables, an 11th grader with a 1000 total is at the 53rd percentile among actual test takers, a 1200 is at the 82nd, and a 1400 is at the 96th. The same scores rank higher for 10th graders, and higher again against College Board's "nationally representative" group.
Fall 2026 PSAT/NMSQT scores come out on October 22, November 5, or November 12, depending on when your school submits its tests, so this is the chart to have open when yours arrives. Below: the full chart by grade, the difference between the two kinds of percentile, section percentiles, and what percentile National Merit actually takes. For what the 320–1520 scale itself means, see our PSAT score range guide.
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These figures come from College Board's PSAT/NMSQT Nationally Representative and User Percentiles tables. College Board doesn't put a year on that page; we checked it on September 24, 2026. "User" percentiles compare you with students who actually took the PSAT/NMSQT or PSAT 10 in the past three school years. "Nationally representative" (NR) percentiles compare you with all U.S. students in your grade.
PSAT total score
11th grade: user
11th grade: NR
10th grade: user
10th grade: NR
1520
99+
99+
99+
99+
1500
99+
99+
99+
99+
1450
98
99+
99+
99+
1400
96
99
99
99
1350
94
98
98
98
1300
91
96
97
97
1250
87
94
95
95
1200
82
90
92
92
1150
76
85
87
88
1100
69
79
82
82
1050
61
70
76
75
1000
53
59
69
65
950
44
48
60
56
900
36
37
51
46
850
27
28
41
36
800
19
18
30
24
750
13
8
21
13
700
8
2
13
5
600
3
<1
5
<1
Scores move in 10-point steps and College Board lists every one of them; we've shown every 50 points. "99+" means above the 99th percentile, and "<1" means below the 1st. The PSAT 10 uses exactly the same total-score table, according to College Board's PSAT 10 percentile page.
Two patterns stand out:
Grade matters a lot. A 1100 is the 69th percentile for an 11th grader but the 82nd for a 10th grader. Juniors as a group score higher, so the same score ranks lower among them.
The top end compresses. For 11th graders, going from 1300 to 1400 moves you only from the 91st to the 96th user percentile, while going from 1000 to 1100 moves you from the 53rd to the 69th. Near the top, each 10-point gain buys less percentile.
User vs. Nationally Representative Percentiles: Which Is on Your Report?
College Board defines both in its research tables:
User percentiles are based on the actual scores of students who took the PSAT/NMSQT or PSAT 10 in the past three school years.
Nationally representative percentiles come from a research study of U.S. 10th and 11th graders, weighted to represent all U.S. students in those grades, whether or not they usually take the test.
The number you'll see first is the user-based one. College Board's Fall 2026 PSAT/NMSQT Understanding Scores guide says the official score report PDF shows an All Tester Percentile, based on the actual scores of the past three cohorts who took the PSAT/NMSQT in 10th or 11th grade, anywhere in the world. You get the percentile for your own grade. That group isn't defined exactly like the research table's user group (which also includes PSAT 10 takers), so the percentile on your report may not match the chart above exactly. The online student score portal adds more comparisons: all testers in your country, all testers in your state (for U.S. students), and all testers worldwide. College Board's 2026–27 data layout for school score files still carries both nationally representative and user percentiles, so your school may see both.
Which one should you pay attention to? The user percentile, in most cases. It compares you with students who actually take the test. The nationally representative number is a fair picture of where you stand among all students your age, but for 11th graders above the middle of the scale it runs noticeably higher, since that comparison group includes students who don't usually take the test.
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PSAT Section Score Percentiles (11th Grade)
Your two section scores, each on a 160–760 scale, have their own percentiles, and they don't line up the same way. From the same College Board tables:
Section score
Reading and Writing: user
Reading and Writing: NR
Math: user
Math: NR
760
99+
99+
99
99+
750
99
99+
98
99+
700
96
99+
95
98
650
88
96
91
95
600
78
88
84
90
550
65
77
73
77
500
49
60
58
58
450
33
39
40
37
400
20
23
22
18
350
9
7
8
3
A 600 in Math is the 84th user percentile, but a 600 in Reading and Writing is only the 78th. College Board's section table still labels the reading column with the older "Evidence-Based Reading and Writing" name; it's the section your report calls Reading and Writing.
College Board also sets grade-level benchmarks for being on track for college readiness. For 11th graders, that's 460 in Reading and Writing and 510 in Math; for 10th graders, 430 and 480, per the Fall 2026 Understanding Scores guide. Meeting a benchmark is a different question from where you rank. For how to judge your score against goals, see what counts as a good PSAT score, and for typical scores by grade, see our average PSAT score guide.
What Percentile Do You Need for National Merit?
National Merit doesn't use percentiles at all. It uses the NMSC Selection Index: twice your Reading and Writing score plus your Math score, divided by 10. That's why two students at the same percentile can land differently.
Still, the percentile gives you a sense of scale. The National Merit Scholarship Corporation recognizes about 50,000 of the more than 1.2 million juniors who enter each year, roughly the top 4 percent. For the class of 2027, the national Commended Student cutoff was a Selection Index of 208, which works out to a total score between about 1320 and 1420 depending on your section split. On the 11th-grade user table, that's roughly the 92nd to 97th percentile. Semifinalist cutoffs are higher and set state by state.
How to Read Your Percentile When Fall 2026 Scores Come Out
College Board releases scores for the October 2026 in-school window in three waves, according to its score release dates page:
If your school submits tests by
Scores available to students
October 9, 2026
Thursday, October 22, 2026
October 23, 2026
Thursday, November 5, 2026
October 30, 2026
Thursday, November 12, 2026
Our guide to when PSAT scores come out covers where to log in. Once you have your report, a few ways to read the percentile well:
Check which grade you're compared with. Your report uses your own grade. A sophomore comparing a 10th-grade percentile with a junior friend's isn't comparing like with like.
Look at the score range, not just the score. College Board reports a score range showing how much your score would likely vary if you took another form of the test. Near the middle of the scale, a 30-point swing can move your percentile by 5 or more points.
Compare sections separately. If one section's percentile is much lower, that's where your study time goes.
Don't mix up PSAT and SAT percentiles. The SAT compares you with a different group of students. Because the tests share a score scale, College Board says a student with a 500 in PSAT Math would be expected to get about a 500 on SAT Math at that point, but the percentile for that 500 won't match. See our SAT percentiles chart for the SAT version.
Frequently Asked Questions About PSAT Percentiles
What percentile is a 1200 on the PSAT?
For 11th graders, a 1200 is the 82nd user percentile and the 90th nationally representative percentile. For 10th graders, it's the 92nd on both, according to College Board's PSAT/NMSQT percentile tables.
What percentile is a 1000 on the PSAT?
For 11th graders, a 1000 is the 53rd user percentile and the 59th nationally representative percentile. For 10th graders, it's the 69th user percentile and the 65th nationally representative percentile.
Which PSAT percentile is on my score report?
The score report PDF shows an All Tester Percentile, which ranks you against the actual scores of the past three cohorts of PSAT/NMSQT takers in your grade. The online score portal adds country, state, and worldwide comparisons.
Are PSAT percentiles the same as SAT percentiles?
No. PSAT percentiles compare you with 10th or 11th graders who took the PSAT/NMSQT or PSAT 10. SAT percentiles compare you with SAT takers. The score scale is shared, but the comparison groups are different, so the same number can land at a different percentile.
What PSAT percentile do you need for National Merit?
National Merit uses the Selection Index, not percentiles. For the class of 2027, the Commended cutoff of 208 corresponds to total scores of roughly 1320 to 1420, about the 92nd to 97th user percentile for 11th graders. Semifinalist cutoffs vary by state and are higher.
Do PSAT 10 and PSAT/NMSQT use the same percentiles?
Yes, for total scores. College Board's PSAT 10 and PSAT/NMSQT percentile pages show the same total-score table, and both user groups combine students who took either test in the past three school years.
A percentile is a snapshot, not a ceiling, and the fastest way to move it is steady practice on the skills your report flags. The PSAT/NMSQT measures the same skills as the SAT, and Larry Learns has 25,000+ SAT and ACT practice questions on web, iPhone, and Android, with 3 free quizzes a day. Start a free practice quiz, or create a free account to track your progress before the SAT.
