The National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (NMSQT) is a standardized test that serves as the initial screening process for the National Merit Scholarship Program. Students who take the PSAT/NMSQT in their junior year of high school are automatically entered into the NMSQT program. The NMSQT qualifying scores are used to identify the highest-scoring students in each state, who are then eligible to compete for the National Merit Scholarships.
The NMSQT qualifying scores for 2025 have not yet been released, but they are typically announced in September of each year. The qualifying scores vary from state to state, but they are typically around the 90th percentile. This means that students who score in the top 10% of their state on the PSAT/NMSQT will likely qualify for the National Merit Scholarship Program.
