A QASMT merit pool notice means your child did not receive an offer or an engagement activity invitation in the main round, but their application stays active for future vacancies. It is not an offer, and Queensland Academies does not publish positions or odds.
If you applied for 2028 entry, outcomes are due by email in late Term 4 2026. This guide explains what the merit pool is, how places are filled from it, what you need to send and when, and one step that can accidentally withdraw your application.
What is the QASMT merit pool?
The merit pool is the group of applicants who were not offered a place or an engagement activity in the on-time round but remain under consideration for vacancies. Queensland Academies considers these applications through to the end of Year 7.
According to the official Queensland Academies Year 7 enrolments page, after the entrance test the school assesses each applicant's academic evidence and sends one of four outcomes. The merit pool is one of them.
What do the four possible outcomes mean?
Each outcome tells you something different about where the application stands and what you need to do. The table below summarises the official wording in plain terms.
| Outcome | What it means | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Invitation to an engagement activity | Your child has been shortlisted for the next stage | Attend, and arrange the Letter of Reference form from their current Principal or delegate |
| Request for further information | The school needs more evidence before deciding | Send exactly what is asked, by the stated method, and keep confirmations |
| Merit pool | No offer or invitation now, but the application stays active for vacancies | Keep evidence up to date when prompted and keep other school plans in place |
| Unsuccessful | The application will not proceed | Ask Admissions about late application options if your child is still in Year 5 or Year 6 |
How long does the merit pool last?
Merit pool candidates are considered for vacancies through to the end of Year 7. That means an offer can come before Year 7 starts, or partway through Year 7 after your child has begun at another school.
The late applications page adds that applicants who were unsuccessful in the on-time round may be placed in the merit pool, and that highly capable applicants who apply late may also be considered for it.
How are places offered from the merit pool?
When a vacancy arises, the merit pool is reassessed holistically and selected candidates are invited to an engagement activity. It is not a queue, so there is no fixed order and no number that tells you how close you are.
Vacancies come from three sources named on the official page: families declining offers, normal student movement, and increases in cohort places. The page states plainly that the timing and number of vacancies cannot be predicted and that a future vacancy is not guaranteed.
Two practical consequences follow:
- A call can come at an inconvenient time. If a vacancy arises in Term 2 of Year 7, you will need to decide quickly whether to move your child mid-year.
- Other families' timelines tell you nothing. A friend's child receiving a call in January does not mean yours is next. Each vacancy is assessed fresh.
What do you need to send, and when?
Admissions will prompt merit pool candidates to provide updated school reports and NAPLAN results around their expected release dates. Send them when asked, through the method requested, and keep the confirmation.
The academic evidence Queensland Academies asks for includes the two most recent semester reports and NAPLAN results where available. Your child's Year 5 NAPLAN report may be requested later in the process. The QASMT enrolment eligibility plan describes selection as a global analysis of the test, the engagement activity and school-based assessment, so updated reports genuinely feed into any reassessment.
Any new or changed information must reach Queensland Academies before you accept an offer. That includes learning support documentation if circumstances change.
A simple folder helps. Keep in one place:
- the outcome email and application reference
- every message to and from Admissions, with dates
- copies of each report and NAPLAN result you submit, with the date sent
- your current contact details, checked each term
Should my child reapply in Year 6?
Possibly, but only after speaking to Admissions first. The late applications page says merit pool candidates who want to reapply in Year 6 must call Queensland Academies Admissions on 07 3377 9366 and email a withdrawal request to admissions@qa.eq.edu.au. Reapplying without that advice withdraws the existing application.
This is the easiest mistake to make in the whole process. A parent sees the late application form, assumes a fresh attempt can only help, and unintentionally removes their child from the merit pool. Call first.
Late applications carry a $300 non-refundable fee, and the earliest anticipated late entrance test for 2028 entry is mid-2027.
Does extra tutoring or testing change the outcome?
Not directly. The school reassesses using the evidence it asks for, mainly school reports, NAPLAN and the original test, so a commercial practice score or a paid assessment you send unprompted carries no official weight.
What does matter is what your child does at school over the coming semesters, because those reports will be reassessed. Steady, well-supported schoolwork is the most useful thing you can influence. If your child is reapplying through the late process after speaking to Admissions, they will sit the entrance test again, and targeted practice on weak sections makes sense then.
How should you talk to your child about it?
Tell them the truth simply: their application is still open, a place might come up, and nobody knows if or when. Then keep their plans for Year 7 elsewhere fully in place.
Avoid presenting each new term as another chance to "earn" a place. Children cope better when school is about learning, friends and interests, with QASMT as one possibility rather than a verdict. If a vacancy does arise mid-year, involve your child in the decision. Moving schools partway through Year 7 is a real trade-off, not an automatic yes.
For ideas on keeping preparation proportionate, see supporting your child through selective exam preparation.
Frequently asked questions
Is the QASMT merit pool an offer?
No. Your child's application stays active and is considered for vacancies through to the end of Year 7, but there is no guarantee of a place.
Can we find out our position in the merit pool?
No ranking or position is published. Each vacancy triggers a holistic reassessment rather than an offer to the next name on a list.
Will we get feedback on why our child wasn't offered a place?
No. The official page states that individual feedback is not provided to unsuccessful candidates and that the Principal's decision is final.
What if a place comes up after Year 7 starts?
You can still accept it. Merit pool consideration runs to the end of Year 7, so your child may move schools mid-year if you choose.
Should we keep our local school enrolment?
Yes. Keep your child's Year 7 enrolment elsewhere active and treat QASMT as a possible later change, not a plan to wait on.
Practice Tests & Exams is an independent provider of practice material. We do not manage the merit pool, influence selection or hold any information about vacancies. If your outcome email differs from this summary, follow the email and contact Queensland Academies Admissions. Official details checked 20 October 2026.