Missed the PSAT? If you couldn't take the October 2026 PSAT/NMSQT because of illness, an emergency or another extenuating circumstance, National Merit hasn't closed the door. NMSC runs an Alternate Entry process for the 2028 program. The firm deadline to ask is April 1, 2027, but it pays to ask much sooner.
Missed the PSAT: what to do depends on timing
If the October 1-30 testing window hasn't closed yet, you may not need Alternate Entry at all. NMSC points students to the "Special Considerations" section of the PSAT/NMSQT Student Guide: you may be able to take the test on another day or at another high school.
If the window has closed, write to NMSC and request another route of entry to the 2028 National Merit Scholarship Program. NMSC's instruction is to do it "as soon as possible," and its own warning is the reason to hurry: "the earlier you write, the more options you will have for scheduling test dates."
What to include in the request
NMSC asks for:
- your name and home address
- contact information for whoever is making the request, if it isn't you
- the name and address of your high school
- a brief explanation of why you couldn't take the PSAT/NMSQT
Send it by email to ae@nmerit.net, or by mail to National Merit Scholarship Corporation, Attn: Scholarship Administration, 1560 Sherman Avenue, Suite 200, Evanston, IL 60201-4897. For the 2028 program, it must be received or postmarked on or before April 1, 2027.
Who Alternate Entry is for
NMSC describes it for students who miss the test "because of illness, an emergency, or other extenuating circumstance" and who meet all the other entry requirements. It isn't described as a second chance for a student who took the test and didn't like the result. That case has its own, much shorter window: you can ask NMSC not to use your Selection Index, but only within five days of your test.
It also doesn't change the year you compete in. You still have to be in the right year of high school for the 2028 program -- see which PSAT counts for National Merit.
What happens after you're entered
NMSC's page doesn't spell out which test or dates replace the PSAT/NMSQT. It only says that writing earlier leaves more options for scheduling test dates, which is another reason not to wait. Once you're in the competition, the path is the same as everyone else's: Semifinalists are named in September 2027 against each state's cutoff, and Semifinalists then need an SAT or ACT score that confirms their performance as part of the Finalist requirements.