On the PSAT, the critical reading section is divided into two parts, each of which lasts 25 minutes. This section contains sentence completion and reading comprehension questions. Scores on this section range from 20 to 80, with 80 being the highest. The College Board reports that in 2010, the average score for this section was 47 for high school juniors and 43 for sophomores.
Like the critical reading section, the math section of the PSAT has two parts, each of which lasts 25 minutes. You can use a calculator to complete the multiple choice and "grid-in" questions. For the grid-in questions, you are not provided with a choice of answers. You must write your response in the grid provided. As with the critical reading section, scores for math range from 20 to 80, with 80 being the highest. In 2010, the average math score was 49 for students in the 11th grade and 44 for students in the 10th grade.
The PSAT contains only one writing section, and it lasts 30 minutes. All of the 39 questions are multiple choice. Like the other two sections, scores range from 20 to 80. In 2010, the average writing score was 45 for juniors and 40 for sophomores.
The selection index is the sum of the scores on all three parts of the test. The selection index for 11th-grade students determines their eligibility for National Merit Scholarships. Scores range from 60 to 240, with 240 being the best possible PSAT selection index score. The average selection index for 11th graders is 141, as of 2010.