National Merit Semifinalist Cutoffs: Class of 2018 and 2019

National Merit Semifinalist Cutoffs: Class of 2018 and 2019

The last two years have been unusual ones for National Merit. With the October 2015 PSAT, College Board introduced an entirely redesigned exam and scale, and the Commended Student cutoff came in at 209. The October 2016 PSAT resulted in even more changes: the Commended Student cutoff moved to 211, and Semifinalist cutoffs increased in forty-six of fifty states.

Will the class of 2019 see still higher cutoffs or will scores settle back to earlier levels? Our analysis shows that there is still upward pressure in the top PSAT score ranges, and the Commended cutoff may move to 212. Although the average PSAT score declined from 1019 to 1015 for the class of 2019, more students continue to score in the top PSAT score range.

We believe that New Jersey (and, by extension, DC) will continue to have the highest cutoff. This high-water mark is likely to remain at 223, although there is a small possibility that it could move to 224. Most large states will see movement of no more than a point in either direction. Smaller states and those with cutoffs close to the Commended level typically experience larger swings, but we do not expect anything resembling the across-the-board increases seen last year.

For regularly updated information about the National Merit Scholarship Program, please see national-merit.

Questions? Contact: Matt Steiner | Senior Director of Outreach 800-685-6986 | matt@

EDUCATION GROUP

National Merit Semifinalist Cutoffs: Class of 2018 and 2019

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