Hey everyone! I've been researching the PSAT and National Merit Scholarship process, and I'm curious about how the PSAT cutoffs are determined. Are they set in advance, or do they change each year based on the scores of the students who took the test? Any info would be super helpful!
Hello! The PSAT cutoffs for National Merit Scholarships are determined annually and can fluctuate slightly from year to year. They are not set in advance. The cutoffs are based on the scores of the top 1% of test-takers in each state. This means that each state has a slightly different cutoff score, and the threshold can vary depending on the performance of students in a given year.
To get an idea of what the cutoff might be for your state, you can look at past cutoffs as a reference. However, keep in mind that these numbers are not guaranteed to stay the same for future years. The best approach is to focus on preparing well for the PSAT and aiming to achieve a score within the top percentile of test-takers in your state. Good luck with your PSAT preparation!
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