Best PSAT Prep Of 2026: Courses, Free Practice And National Merit Tips

Best PSAT Prep At A Glance

Only a few companies sell PSAT-specific courses. The rest sell SAT prep that works for the PSAT because the tests share content and scoring. Here's how our picks compare on price and format, and our SAT prep cost research explains the wider price range.

Best PSAT Prep Options Of 2026

The fall 2026 PSAT/NMSQT window runs October 1 to 30, so most juniors are testing now. The picks below fit two groups: juniors with a late-October school date, and sophomores getting ready for the October 2027 test that will count for the 2029 National Merit program, as explained in our college admissions timeline.

Best Overall: The Princeton Review

The Princeton Review is one of the few companies with a dedicated PSAT course. PSAT Essentials costs $799 for 18 hours of live online instruction, five Princeton Review PSAT practice tests and 575+ practice questions, according to its PSAT prep page. Our Princeton Review SAT and ACT review covers its teaching style.

Private PSAT tutoring costs $150 an hour in 10- or 18-hour packages, which is the better fit for a student a few Selection Index points below the state cutoff. The Princeton Review backs PSAT Essentials with a guarantee: score higher or get your tuition back. Because the PSAT and SAT share the same skills, everything learned carries straight into SAT prep the following spring.

Best Free PSAT Course: Kaplan

Kaplan offers the only free PSAT-branded course on our list. Its On Demand PSAT Prep is free and includes topic quizzes, and Kaplan also runs free PSAT practice tests and cram sessions, according to Kaplan's PSAT page. Our Kaplan Test Prep review covers the company's broader lineup.

Families who want more can buy Live Online PSAT Prep starting at $499, with two full-length adaptive practice tests and 25 quizzes, or PSAT tutoring starting at $399 for packages of 3, 10 or 20 hours. The three-hour package works out to about $133 an hour, which you can compare with our cost of tutoring research.

Best Budget Course For PSAT And SAT: Magoosh

Magoosh doesn't sell a PSAT-specific product, but its SAT course covers the same skills on the same score scale for $49 a month, according to Magoosh's SAT plans page. College Board notes that a PSAT/NMSQT Math score of 500 is similar to an SAT Math score of 500. Our Magoosh review walks through the course.

A sophomore who studies with Magoosh for two months before the PSAT and again before the SAT gets two test cycles out of one low-cost tool. The plan includes 200+ video lessons and 2,500+ questions, and Magoosh offers a 7-day free trial with no auto-renew, keeping total spending near the low end of our SAT prep cost research.

Best Live PSAT Class: Prep Expert

Prep Expert sells a 4-week Digital PSAT Prep Course for $1,096, or four $274 payments. Its posted schedule shows eight live online classes of three hours each, 24 hours total, plus four take-home tests, according to Prep Expert's course page. Our Prep Expert review covers its instructors.

Prep Expert refunds 100% of tuition if your official PSAT score doesn't rise from a prior official score, subject to its terms. The fall 2026 cohort started September 29, so this course works best for sophomores planning ahead for next October, the same planning window we recommend in our college application checklist.

Best Self-Paced Program: PrepScholar

PrepScholar doesn't have a separate PSAT course. Its PSAT page points students to the Complete Online SAT Prep program, which costs $397 for 12 months and accepts a PSAT score as the baseline for its 160-point SAT guarantee, according to PrepScholar. Our PrepScholar review explains the adaptive lessons.

That setup makes PrepScholar a smart pick for a sophomore or junior who wants one program to carry from the PSAT through the SAT. The 12-month access window covers a fall PSAT and a spring SAT, and the 5-day free trial lets you test the platform before committing, a step we suggest for any test prep purchase.

Best Free Option: Khan Academy And Bluebook

The official free PSAT prep comes in two parts. College Board's Bluebook app, the same app used on test day, has free full-length adaptive PSAT/NMSQT practice tests, according to College Board. Khan Academy, College Board's official partner, offers free digital SAT courses that College Board recommends for PSAT practice. Our Khan Academy review covers the lessons.

Every student should take at least one Bluebook practice test before the real PSAT, since it shows the adaptive format and the built-in calculator. Khan's lessons then target the skills that test flags. For many families, this combination is all the PSAT prep they need, saving money for college costs that matter more.

How Does The National Merit Selection Index Work?

The National Merit Selection Index equals two times your Reading and Writing score plus your Math score, divided by 10, on a scale from 48 to 228, according to College Board's PSAT/NMSQT student materials. A student with 720 in Reading and Writing and 700 in Math has a Selection Index of 214. Each state sets its own Semifinalist cutoff, which is why the National Merit Scholarship bar differs across the country.

The takeaway for prep: Reading and Writing counts twice. A student who is three or four Selection Index points short of their state cutoff will usually get there faster by focusing on grammar and reading than on math. General prep courses cover both sections, so tell your tutor or course about the cutoff gap, and check last year's numbers in our good PSAT score breakdown.

What PSAT Score Do You Need For National Merit?

Class of 2027 Semifinalist cutoffs ranged from 208 to 223 on the Selection Index, and the Commended cutoff was 208, according to Compass Education Group, which tracks the cutoffs because the National Merit Scholarship Corporation doesn't publish a public state table. New Jersey and Washington, D.C. had the highest cutoffs. Our National Merit Scholarship page covers the full process.

Cutoffs shift a few points each year, so treat last year's number as a target range, not a guarantee. More than 16,000 Semifinalists are named each September, less than 1% of U.S. seniors, according to the National Merit announcement. About 95% are expected to become Finalists, and Finalists compete for the scholarships listed in our largest scholarships roundup.

How Much Is National Merit Worth?

National Merit offers about 6,700 scholarships worth about $24 million in the 2027 program, according to the National Merit announcement. That breaks into three types: 2,500 National Merit $2,500 Scholarships, about 700 corporate-sponsored awards and about 3,500 college-sponsored awards for Finalists who enroll at the sponsoring school, as listed in this program summary. Our merit scholarship explainer covers how these awards stack with other aid.

Here's our take on the math. Most Semifinalists won't win a $2,500 award, but the title carries weight beyond the National Merit check: some colleges sponsor their own awards for Finalists, and the recognition belongs on every scholarship application. For a junior within a few points of the cutoff, spending $100 to $800 on targeted prep can be a reasonable bet. For a student 15 or more points away, that same money is better spent on SAT prep.

What Is On The PSAT/NMSQT?

The PSAT/NMSQT is a digital, adaptive test taken at school in the Bluebook app. It has 98 questions over 134 minutes, split into Reading and Writing and Math, and is scored from 320 to 1520, according to College Board. The format mirrors the digital SAT, which is scored from 400 to 1600.

Only the PSAT/NMSQT taken in junior year counts for National Merit on a standard four-year path. The PSAT 10 counts toward College Board's National Recognition Programs, not National Merit, according to College Board. Sophomores can take the fall PSAT/NMSQT for practice, which is a cheap preview of the college entrance exams ahead.

When Is The PSAT In 2026?

Schools give the fall 2026 PSAT/NMSQT between October 1 and October 30, 2026, with an optional Saturday test on October 17, according to College Board. Students register through their school, not with College Board. Homeschooled students need to arrange testing with a local school ahead of time, the same way they handle other steps in the college admissions process.

The PSAT 10 runs March 1 to April 30, 2027. Colleges don't receive PSAT scores, according to College Board, so a weak result costs you nothing except a missed National Merit shot. Use your score report to plan SAT prep, which our best SAT prep rankings cover.

Does Your PSAT Score Predict Your SAT Score?

Your PSAT score is a good starting estimate for the SAT because both tests use the same score scale. College Board's 2026 student growth estimates found students who took the PSAT/NMSQT in fall of junior year scored about 35 points higher in Reading and Writing and 33 points higher in Math on the SAT the next fall. Our good SAT score page shows what those gains mean for admissions.

Those are averages, not promises, and College Board cautions against using them for high-stakes decisions. A student with a 600 PSAT Math score can expect about a 640 on a senior-fall SAT, with a typical range of 590 to 690. Focused prep is how students land at the top of that range instead of the middle, which is the case for starting with the courses in our SAT prep rankings.

How To Prepare For The PSAT

Start practicing at least two to three months before the PSAT, College Board's own timeline for SAT prep, with short sessions a few days a week. That makes summer before junior year the ideal start for National Merit hopefuls. Use these steps, which also set up your SAT plan.

1. Take a free Bluebook PSAT practice test to get a baseline Selection Index.
2. Compare it with your state's cutoff. Within about 5 points? Targeted prep makes sense. 15 or more points away? Focus on SAT prep instead.
3. Weight Reading and Writing, since it counts double in the Selection Index.
4. Practice with the Desmos calculator built into Bluebook for the Math section.
5. Take one more full practice test two weeks before your school's test date.

Students who test this fall and miss the cutoff haven't lost much. The same prep carries over to the SAT, and SAT scores matter for merit aid at colleges that consider them, as our merit scholarship overview shows.

How We Picked The Best PSAT Prep

We looked at every test prep company The College Investor has reviewed and noted which ones sell PSAT-specific products and which rely on SAT courses. We compared price, live hours, practice tests built for the digital PSAT, guarantees and free options, and verified prices on each provider's site on October 11, 2026. Our editorial standards explain how we work with partners.

UWorld markets its $299 SAT course for PSAT prep and offers a 7-day free trial, and Varsity Tutors sells PSAT tutoring without published prices, so neither made our main list. You can read more in our UWorld review and Varsity Tutors review.

More Test Prep Rankings From The College Investor

PSAT Prep FAQs

Do Colleges See PSAT Scores?

No. College Board says colleges won't receive your actual PSAT scores. The PSAT matters for National Merit and some other scholarships, as our good PSAT score page explains.

Is PSAT Prep Worth It?

PSAT prep is worth it for juniors within a few Selection Index points of their state's National Merit cutoff. For everyone else, free Bluebook practice and an SAT-focused course give more value. Check our National Merit Scholarship page for the details.

Does The Sophomore PSAT Count For National Merit?

No. On a standard four-year path, only the PSAT/NMSQT taken in the fall of junior year counts. Sophomores can take it for practice and use the score to plan their SAT prep.

How Much Does The PSAT Cost?

The 2026 PSAT/NMSQT fee is $18, and the PSAT 8/9 is $14, according to College Board. Many schools cover part or all of the fee, and some add an administrative charge. Ask your counselor, and see our college admissions coverage for other early costs.

What Is A Good PSAT Score For National Merit?

For the class of 2027, Semifinalist cutoffs ranged from 208 to 223 on the Selection Index, depending on your state. The Commended cutoff was 208. Our good PSAT score breakdown covers score ranges.