FairTest.org, the “National Center for Fair & Open Testing”, compiled qualifying scores for the Class of 2010 for each of the fifty United States and the District of Columbia.  Students in Wyoming qualified with a PSAT score of 201, while 221 was the 2010 cut-off for students in New Jersey, Massachusetts, Maine, Missouri and Maryland.  

It’s easier to become a National Merit contender in Florida and Michigan than in California, Connecticut or New York.

Approximately 15,000 students were named as National Merit Finalists this year nationwide.  Each year high-scoring seniors are awarded this prestigious honor by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation(NMSC) for outstanding academic achievement and commendable scores on their PSAT examination.

States With the Highest PSAT Score Cut-Off for 2010

• District of Columbia — 221
• Maryland — 221
• Massachusetts — 221
• New Jersey — 221
• Delaware 219
• California 218
• Connecticut 218
• New York 218
• Virginia 218
• Rhode Island — 217
• Washington — 217

State With The Lowest PSAT Score Cut-Off for 2010

• Wyoming — 201
• Nevada — 202
• North Dakota — 202
• Arkansas — 203
• Mississippi — 203
• West Virginia — 203
• Montana — 204
• South Dakota — 205
• Utah — 206
• Nebraska — 206

A complete list is available at http://www.fairtest.org