It typically costs around 18 dollars per student to take the PSAT (specifically the PSAT/NMSQT), but what you pay can range from 0 to about 40 dollars depending on your school’s policies.

Quick Scoop

  • The College Board charges schools about 18 dollars per PSAT/NMSQT test.
  • Many schools:
    • Charge students roughly 18–25 dollars, or sometimes closer to 30–40 dollars to cover admin costs.
* Subsidize part or all of the fee so students pay less or **nothing at all**.
  • If paying is a problem, schools may have fee waivers or financial help , especially for 11th graders.

Typical cost range

Here’s a simple breakdown of what students usually see:

html

<table>
  <tr>
    <th>What you might see</th>
    <th>Approximate amount</th>
    <th>Who decides?</th>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>Base PSAT/NMSQT test fee (what College Board charges schools)</td>
    <td>$18 per test</td>
    <td>College Board sets this fee</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>Total student fee at many schools</td>
    <td>About $18–$30 (sometimes up to ~$37)</td>
    <td>School adds admin costs or not</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>Cost at schools that fully cover the exam</td>
    <td>$0 to the student</td>
    <td>School or district pays for everyone</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>Fee waivers / financial help</td>
    <td>Often reduces your cost to $0</td>
    <td>School decides based on need and grade level</td>
  </tr>
</table>

Why the number varies

  • The 18‑dollar figure is the standard registration fee for PSAT/NMSQT and PSAT 10 that schools pay.
  • Some schools list higher “student cost” (like 30–37 dollars) because they add:
    • Proctor pay and room costs
    • Online registration service fees
    • Late registration fees in some cases

Fee waivers and free testing

  • Fee waivers and school coverage are most common for 11th graders , since that’s when the PSAT counts for National Merit scholarship consideration.
  • In forum discussions, students often mention that:
    • Their school pays for everyone to take the PSAT.
    • Counselors can quietly help if a student can’t afford the fee.

What you should do next

  1. Ask your school counselor or main office :
    • “How much does it cost to take the PSAT at our school?”
    • “Are there fee waivers or financial help if I can’t pay?”
  2. Check if your district pays for all students , which would make it free to you.

In practice, many students either pay around 18–30 dollars or end up paying nothing because their school or a waiver covers the fee.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.