The PSAT consists of three sections, Critical Reading, Mathematics and Reading, each of which is scored from 20 to 80 points. The average score on each section for 11th graders in 2009 was 47, 46, and 48 for Critical Reading, Mathematics and Reading, respectively. The sum of all your scores is called your "Selection Index" and represents how you did on the test overall.
If you score at or slightly above the average for everyone in your grade who took the test, you'll find yourself in around the 50th percentile. This means you performed better than 50 percent of all test takers. Likewise, if you scored in the 90th percentile, you scored better than 90 percent of all test takers. You can also look at this number as reflecting that only 10 percent of test takers performed better than you.
Your PSAT score report will reveal how you did on each section individually, noting the question types within a particular category you answered wrong and correctly. In the Critical Reading section, for example, the skills categories will show how you answered questions relative to determining the meaning of words or reasoning and inference. You can use the skills section to evaluate your strengths and weaknesses so you can tailor a study plan for the SAT.
Students and parents may wonder how a PSAT score translates to an SAT score, which has a high score of 2400. Calculate your potential SAT score by adding a "zero" to each score you received. For instance, if you received a score of 46 on your Critical Reading section, add a "zero" for an SAT equivalent score 460. Add a zero to your other two scores and then add all your scores together for a total score, which reflects your SAT equivalent.