PSAT Test Dates 2026-27: When Is the PSAT?

The 2026 PSAT/NMSQT testing window is October 1–30, 2026. There is no single national PSAT test day anymore – your school picks the day (or days) it tests inside that window, and schools can also choose to offer it on Saturday, October 17, 2026. The PSAT 10 follows in the spring, March 1–April 30, 2027. Below are the full 2026–27 dates for every PSAT, when scores come out, what it costs, and what to do if you miss it. All dates are from College Board’s own 2026–27 calendar, checked September 2026.

Preparing for the PSAT? Check out the best PSAT prep books for study!

PSAT Test Dates 2026–27 at a Glance

Test	Who takes it	2026–27 testing window	Fee
PSAT/NMSQT	Mostly juniors – the National Merit qualifying test	October 1–30, 2026 (optional Saturday: October 17, 2026)	$18
PSAT 10	10th graders	March 1–April 30, 2027	$18
PSAT 8/9	8th and 9th graders	October 1–30, 2026 or March 1–April 30, 2027	$14

Source: College Board’s Important Dates: SAT Suite, 2026–27 School Year and the Fall 2026 PSAT/NMSQT Student Guide. Your school chooses the exact day within each window, so your counselor is the only person who can tell you your actual test date.

Why There’s No Single PSAT Test Date Anymore

Until the PSAT went digital, College Board gave schools three fixed fall dates to choose from: a primary test day (always a Wednesday), a Saturday test day, and an alternate test day. We used to list those here going back to 2018. That system is gone.

Now the PSAT is taken on a laptop or tablet in College Board’s Bluebook app, and schools can give it on as many days of the testing window as they need. A few things follow from that:

• Students at the same school can test on different days. That is normal, not a mistake.
• You only get one valid score per window. You can’t sit it twice in October and keep the better result.
• If something goes wrong on test day, you can usually retest later in the window – up to two retest opportunities to get a valid score. You take the whole test again, not just one section. Tell your school’s test coordinator immediately.
• When you test affects when you get scores. Testing early in October means scores back weeks sooner (see the table below).

When Do PSAT Scores Come Out? Fall 2026 Release Dates

Score release is tied to when your school submits its tests, not the exact day you sat the test. College Board’s fall 2026 schedule:

School submits tests by	Scores available to educators	Scores available to students
October 9, 2026	October 20	October 22
October 23, 2026	November 3	November 5
October 30, 2026	November 10	November 12

If you gave a mobile number when you set up your test, you’ll get a text when your scores are ready to view in the BigFuture School app. Every test taker also gets an official score report – ask your counselor for a copy. If your state runs the PSAT as part of its own testing program, check with your state, because release dates can differ.

PSAT 10 and spring PSAT 8/9 score dates haven’t been published yet – College Board releases the spring 2027 schedule separately. We’ll add them here when it does. In the meantime, check College Board’s score release dates page.

PSAT scores run from 320 to 1520: two section scores of 160–760 for Reading and Writing and for Math.

How Much Does the PSAT Cost?

The 2026–27 fee is $18 for the PSAT/NMSQT or PSAT 10, and $14 for the PSAT 8/9. You may not pay anything: many districts and schools cover all or part of the cost. Some schools add a small administrative fee on top. Your school handles registration, so you don’t sign up with College Board yourself.

PSAT Test Dates and the National Merit Scholarship

The PSAT isn’t used for college admissions, but the PSAT/NMSQT is the qualifying test for the National Merit Scholarship Program – which is why the date matters more for juniors than anyone else. Read more about why you should take the PSAT.

• Only the PSAT/NMSQT counts. The PSAT 10 and PSAT 8/9 are not considered for National Merit.
• The October 2026 test enters you in the 2028 program – for students finishing high school and starting college in 2028.
• Take it in the right year. If you’re spending the usual four years in high school, you must take the qualifying test in 11th grade. A sophomore who takes the 2026 PSAT/NMSQT doesn’t enter the program and needs to take it again in fall 2027.
• It uses a Selection Index, not your total score: (2 × Reading and Writing + Math) ÷ 10, on a scale of 48–228. Reading and Writing counts double.

What happens after the October 2026 test, according to the student guide:

When	What happens
April 2027	NMSC sends high schools the list of high scorers to check for eligibility errors
Early September 2027	About 16,000 Semifinalists – the top scorers in each state – are notified
Late September 2027	About 34,000 Commended Students are notified
February 2028	About 15,000 Finalists are notified
From March 2028	Scholarship winners are notified (about 7,320 scholarships)

Trying to decide whether PSAT-specific prep is worth it for National Merit? See our PrepScholar PSAT review, which walks through the Selection Index strategy.

What If You Miss the PSAT?

If the October window is still open

Tell your counselor as soon as possible. You may be able to test later in October at your own school, or register as an “Away Student” at a nearby school that tests on a different day. If you go the Away Student route, contact that school ideally four weeks before the window opens, have your school code and student ID ready, and bring a valid photo ID on test day. The same process applies if you’re homeschooled.

If the window has closed and you want National Merit

If you missed the 2026 PSAT/NMSQT because of illness, an emergency, or another extenuating circumstance, you may still be able to enter the 2028 National Merit program. Write to the National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC) as soon as possible – your request must be received or postmarked by April 1, 2027. The earlier you write, the more test date options you’ll have.

• Email: ae@nmerit.net
• Mail: National Merit Scholarship Corporation, Attn: Scholarship Administration, 1560 Sherman Avenue, Suite 200, Evanston, IL 60201-4897
• Include: your name and home address, the contact details of whoever is making the request, your high school’s name and address, and a short explanation of why you couldn’t take the test.

More on the program at nationalmerit.org.

Getting Ready Before Your PSAT Test Date

Once you know your date, work backward from it. The digital PSAT/NMSQT is 2 hours 14 minutes in two adaptive sections: Reading and Writing (54 questions, 64 minutes) and Math (44 questions, 70 minutes), with a Desmos graphing calculator built in. There’s no penalty for wrong answers, so never leave a question blank.

• 13 free PSAT practice tests – including the official adaptive ones in Bluebook
• PSAT tips and test-taking advice
• The best PSAT prep courses
• PSAT-approved calculators
• PSAT vs SAT – how the two tests compare

PSAT Test Dates FAQ