How do you determine whether a student is in the top 10%?

Scores for all eligible students in the class of 2026 and 2027 who took the PSAT/NMSQT or PSAT 10 by the fall 2024 are pooled to determine the cut score for the top 10% of test takers in their high school (i.e., School Recognition Award), for first-generation college goers in their state (i.e., First Generation Award), and/or for rural and small town test takers in their state (i.e., Rural and Small Town Award). 

The School Recognition Award celebrates test takers within a school community that are in the top 10% and meet a minimum national score to account for variability among small and large school communities. For schools with fewer than 20 test takers, the top 10% will be calculated across all small schools in the geographic region. 

Learn about the National Recognition Program