“Q School” can refer to several different qualifying schools (golf, darts, snooker, etc.), and each has its own calendar, so the start date depends on which one you mean.

Key possibilities

  • PDC darts Q School (PDC Tour Card)
    • The 2026 PDC Qualifying Schools run from January 5–11, with the first stage starting on January 5.
* Events are held simultaneously in Milton Keynes (UK Q School) and Kalkar, Germany (European Q School).
  • PGA TOUR Q-School (golf – PGA TOUR/Korn Ferry)
    • Q-School here is split into stages (Pre-Qualifying, First Stage, Second Stage, Final Stage), typically beginning with Pre-Qualifying in mid‑September and running into December for Final Stage; the 2025 schedule, for example, had pre-qualifying starting September 17 and final stage in December.
* Registration for the 2026 edition is announced as “coming soon,” so exact 2026 start dates are not yet fully published.
  • Legends Tour (senior European golf) Q-School
    • The 2026 Legends Tour Q-School is a single-stage event starting Saturday 17 January 2026 at Gloria Golf Resort in Belek, Turkey.
  • PGA TOUR Americas Q-School (golf)
    • For 2026, Q-School is scheduled to be played in March across five sites in the U.S., with exact sites and dates to be announced in December; registration opens in mid‑January.

What to do next

  • If you mean PDC darts , your answer is: it starts 5 January 2026.
  • If you mean PGA TOUR or Korn Ferry golf , expect mid‑September for the first competitive stage based on the latest published pattern, but check the official site as 2026 registration details go live.
  • If you mean the Legends Tour senior golf Q-School , it starts 17 January 2026.

If you tell which sport or tour (PGA TOUR, LPGA/Epson, PDC darts, snooker, etc.), a more precise “Q School” start date can be pinned down.

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