How do they grade PSAT National Merit Commended semifinalist actual finalist ppls?

<p>I'm sorry, I'm really confused now. I just thought to be a PSAT scholar with a scholarship mabobber, you just have to get above a 216.</p>

<p>But after looking through the forum, what on earth is top 4 percentile, semi finalist by state, finalist by nation? What on earth is that?</p>

<p>Can somebody please explain to me the process? I'm really confuzzled now.</p>

<p>I'm a sophomore and I took my PSAT this year as practice and I got a 195 (terribad I know, but all I did was take their free practice test and then took the actual test :D or should it be :[?)</p>

<p>relax, kid.</p>

<p>ok, so a person can do either of the following on the PSAT:</p>

<p>-score high enough in his STATE (top 1 %)-this score will vary from state to state, if a person scores in the top 1% in his state, he becomes a National Merit SemiFinalist, and has a 94% chance of making Finalist)</p>

<p>-score high enough NATIONALLY (top 4%)--this is if he/she scored lower than the 99th percentile STATEWIDE, but higher than the 96th percentile Nationally. This person becomes a Commended Scholar but does not advance in the NMF scholarship competition.</p>

<p>--score lower than the NATIONAL percentile for commended scholar, and therefore receive NO recognition whatsoever.</p>

<p>Oh, that makes sense. Ok thank you! :D</p>

<p>And a 195 for a sophomore is very good! :)</p>