A good score to get enlisted by National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC) is between 1210 and 1520. For any given year, the average score on the PSAT/NMSQT is about 1010 for the junior year. But that won’t cut it. You need to be in the top 1% of test-scorers in your state, plus, be a part of the top 50,000 students nationally to receive some kind of recognition. The NMSC uses a Selection Index calculated using the scores from your reading and writing and math sections to rank those 50,000 students. The Index score ranges from 48 to 228. You should aim for a score of 220 and higher.