How are PSAT scores calculated?

Hey everyone! I'm curious about the PSAT. Can someone help me understand how the scores are calculated and what they're out of? Thanks a lot!

Hey there! Sure, I can help explain how PSAT scores are calculated. The PSAT scoring is based on two sections: Evidence-Based Reading and Writing (EBRW) and Math. Each section is scored on a scale of 160 to 760, making the total PSAT score range from 320 to 1520.

To calculate the section scores, first, the raw scores are determined. The raw score for each section is simply the total number of correct answers. There's no penalty for incorrect answers on the PSAT, so it's a good strategy to try answering every question.

Once the raw scores for EBRW and Math are calculated, they are separately converted to scaled scores through a process called "equating." Equating is done by the College Board to account for slight differences in the difficulty of test questions across different test forms.

The EBRW section is further divided into two test scores: Reading and Writing & Language. Each of these test scores ranges from 8 to 38. To obtain the EBRW scaled score, the sum of the Reading and Writing & Language test scores is multiplied by 10.

As a result, you end up with two scaled scores - one for EBRW and one for Math, each ranging from 160 to 760. Add these two scores together to get your final PSAT score, which can range from 320 to 1520. Remember, the PSAT scoring scale is slightly different than the SAT, which has a total score range of 400 to 1600.

I hope this helps you understand how PSAT scores are calculated!