Percentile ranks of PSAT subscores
Discussion: The following tables are from my [DTM] 1977 PSAT/NMSQT score report. I have assigned pseudo-IQ scores in parentheses (which assume a normal distribution) to the percentile ranks. I would expect that this table shows approximately how IQ rises from age 15 (sophomore) to age 17 (senior) on a test which does not correct for age. The average rise in verbal pseudo-IQ's from sophomore to junior is about 5 points, and the average rise in verbal pseudo-IQ's from junior to senior is about 4 points. Since some people drop out of high school at 16, the rise in IQ scores from junior to senior is probably less than that indicated here.
Verbal percentile ranks for juniors, sophomores, and seniors | ||||
| Score | All sophomores | All juniors | All seniors | College-bound juniors |
| 74 & above | 99+ | 99+ | 99+ | 99+ |
| 73 | 99+ | 99+ | 99+ | 99+ |
| 72 | 99+ | 99+ | 99+ | 99+ |
| 71 | 99+ | 99+ | 99+ | 99+ |
| 70 | 99+ | 99+ | 99+ | 99+ |
| 69 | 99+ | 99+ | 99+ | 99 |
| 68 | 99+ | 99+ | 99+ | 99 |
| 67 | 99+ | 99+ | 99 | 99 |
| 66 | 99+ | 99 | 99 | 99 |
| 65 | 99+ | 99 | 99 | 98 |
| 64 | 99+ | 99 | 99 | 98 |
| 63 | 99+ | 99 | 99 | 97 |
| 62 | 99+ | 99 | 98 | 97 |
| 61 | 99 | 98 | 97 | 96 (128) |
| 60 | 99 | 98 | 96 | 95 (126) |
| 59 | 99 | 98 | 95 | 94 (125) |
| 58 | 99 | 97 | 95 | 93 (124) |
| 57 | 99 | 97 | 94 (125) | 92 (123) |
| 56 | 98 | 96 | 93 (124) | 90 (121) |
| 55 | 98 | 95 | 92 (123) | 89 (120) |
| 54 | 97 | 95 | 90 (121) | 87 (118) |
| 53 | 97 | 93 (124) | 89 (120) | 85 (117) |
| 52 | 96 | 92 (123) | 88 (119) | 83 (115) |
| 51 | 96 | 91 (121) | 86 (117) | 80 (114) |
| 50 | 95 (126) | 90 (121) | 84 (116) | 78 (111) |
| 49 | 94 (125) | 89 (120) | 82 (115) | 75 (111) |
| 48 | 93 (124) | 87 (118) | 80 (114) | 72 (110) |
| 47 | 92 (123) | 85 (117) | 78 (113) | 70 (109) |
| 46 | 91 (121) | 84 (116) | 76 (112) | 66 (107) |
| 45 | 90 (121) | 81 (114) | 74 (111) | 63 (105) |
| 44 | 88 (119) | 79 (113) | 71 (109) | 60 (104) |
| 43 | 86 (117) | 77 (112) | 68 (108) | 55 (102) |
| 42 | 83 (115) | 75 (111) | 65 (106) | 53 (101) |
| 41 | 81 (114) | 73 (110) | 62 (105) | 48 |
| 40 | 79 (113) | 71 (109) | 60 (104) | 45 |
| 39 | 77 (112) | 68 (108) | 57 (103) | 41 |
| 38 | 74 (111) | 64 (106) | 54 (102) | 38 |
| 37 | 72 (110) | 61 (105) | 52 (101) | 34 |
| 36 | 69 (108) | 58 (103) | 49 | 31 |
| 35 | 65 (106) | 54 (102) | 45 | 26 |
| 34 | 62 (105) | 51 (101) | 43 | 24 |
| 33 | 59 (104) | 50 (100) | 39 | 21 |
| 32 | 56 (103) | 47 | 36 | 18 |
| 31 | 51 (101) | 44 | 32 | 16 |
| 30 | 47 | 37 | 29 | 12 |
| 29 | 44 | 35 | 26 | 11 |
| 28 | 41 | 32 | 24 | 9 |
| 27 | 38 | 28 | 22 | 7 |
| 26 | 32 | 25 | 18 | 5 |
| 25 | 27 | 22 | 15 | 4 |
| 24 | 24 | 20 | 13 | 3 |
| 23 | 21 | 17 | 10 | 2 |
| 22 | 17 | 11 | 9 | 2 |
| 21 | 13 | 9 | 7 | 1 |
| 20 | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Average score | 32 | 34 | 37 | 41 |
Mathematical percentile ranks for juniors, sophomores, and seniors | ||||
| Score | All sophomores | All juniors | All seniors | College-bound juniors |
| 74 & above | 99+ | 99+ | 99+ | 99+ |
| 73 | 99+ | 99+ | 99+ | 99 |
| 72 | 99+ | 99+ | 99 | 99 |
| 71 | 99+ | 99+ | 99 | 99 |
| 70 | 99+ | 99 | 99 | 98 |
| 69 | 99+ | 99 | 98 | 98 |
| 68 | 99+ | 99 | 98 | 98 |
| 67 | 99+ | 99 | 97 | 97 |
| 66 | 99+ | 99 | 97 | 96 |
| 65 | 99+ | 98 | 96 | 96 |
| 64 | 99 | 98 | 96 | 95 (126) |
| 63 | 99 | 98 | 95 | 93 (124) |
| 62 | 99 | 97 | 95 | 92 (123) |
| 61 | 99 | 96 | 94 (125) | 91 (121) |
| 60 | 99 | 96 | 93 (124) | 89 (120) |
| 59 | 99 | 95 (126) | 92 (123) | 85 (117) |
| 58 | 98 | 94 (125) | 91 (121) | 83 (115) |
| 57 | 97 | 93 (124) | 89 (120) | 81 (114) |
| 56 | 97 | 92 (123) | 87 (118) | 79 (113) |
| 55 | 96 (128) | 91 (121) | 86 (117) | 76 (112) |
| 54 | 95 (126) | 90 (121) | 84 (116) | 73 (110) |
| 53 | 94 (125) | 88 (119) | 82 (115) | 70 (109) |
| 52 | 93 (124) | 86 (117) | 80 (114) | 68 (108) |
| 51 | 92 (123) | 85 (117) | 79 (113) | 64 (106) |
| 50 | 90 (121) | 83 (115) | 77 (112) | 61 (105) |
| 49 | 89 (120) | 81 (114) | 75 (111) | 58 (103) |
| 48 | 87 (118) | 79 (113) | 73 (110) | 55 (102) |
| 47 | 85 (117) | 77 (112) | 70 (109) | 52 (101) |
| 46 | 83 (115) | 75 (111) | 68 (108) | 49 |
| 45 | 81 (114) | 73 (110) | 66 (107) | 45 |
| 44 | 79 (113) | 70 (109) | 64 (106) | 41 |
| 43 | 76 (112) | 67 (107) | 60 (104) | 38 |
| 42 | 74 (111) | 64 (106) | 58 (103) | 35 |
| 41 | 72 (110) | 62 (105) | 56 (103) | 32 |
| 40 | 69 (108) | 59 (104) | 53 (101) | 30 |
| 39 | 66 (107) | 55 (102) | 50 (100) | 27 |
| 38 | 62 (105) | 52 (101) | 47 | 24 |
| 37 | 59 (104) | 49 | 44 | 22 |
| 36 | 56 (103) | 45 | 42 | 19 |
| 35 | 52 (101) | 42 | 39 | 17 |
| 34 | 47 | 37 | 35 | 15 |
| 33 | 42 | 34 | 31 | 13 |
| 32 | 38 | 31 | 27 | 11 |
| 31 | 34 | 27 | 24 | 9 |
| 30 | 28 | 22 | 20 | 8 |
| 29 | 22 | 18 | 15 | 5 |
| 28 | 15 | 15 | 11 | 4 |
| 27 | 11 | 13 | 8 | 3 |
| 26 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 2 |
| 25 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 1 |
| 24 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 1 |
| 23 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| 22 | 1- | 1 | 1- | 1- |
| 21 | 1- | 1- | 1- | 1- |
| 20 | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Average score | 36 | 39 | 41 | 46 |
Percentile ranks for all juniors, all sophomores, and all seniors are based on a special administration of the PSAT/NMSQT in 1974 and represent the performance of all students at these grade levels, not just those who would normally take the test. Percentile ranks for college-bound juniors are based on the scores of United States citizens who took the 1976 PSAT/NMSQT as juniors and indicated they would enter college in 1978.
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