Know about Sainik School Admission Online Registration 2026. Sainik Schools offer admission at the level of Class VI and Class IX. Admission for 2026-27 is based on the performance of candidates in the All India Sainik Schools Entrance Examination (AISSEE) 2026. AISSEE online application for the 2026-27 session is now available on the portal. Sainik Schools are English medium residential schools affiliated to Central Board of Secondary Education(CBSE) and are managed by Sainik Schools Society (SSS). Sainik Schools prepare Cadets to join the National Defence Academy (NDA) Khadakwasla (Pune), Indian Naval Academy, Ezhimala and other Training Academies for officers. At present there are a total of 33 Sainik Schools across the country. Check list of Sainik Schools in India. Read this article to know the Sainik School Admission procedure and details of entrance exam of Sainik Schools AISSEE 2026 for academic session 2026-2027.
The National Testing Agency (NTA) has released the AISSEE application form on October 10, 2025. AISSEE 2026 exam for admission to Sainik Schools will be held on January 2026.
Sainik School Admission 2026 – AISSEE Exam Overview
Admission to Class VI and Class IX of the 33 Sainik Schools and 69 New Sainik Schools for the academic year 2026-27, is through a written exam AISSEE 2026. AISSEE 2026 will be conducted by National Testing Agency (NTA).
| Name of Exam | All India Sainik School Entrance Examination (AISSEE) |
| Conducting Authority | National Testing Agency (NTA) |
| Mode of Exam | Offline – Paper pencil on OMR answer sheets for admission to both Class VI and Class IX. |
| Type of Questions | Multiple Choice Questions |
| For Admission to | Sainik School in classes VI and IX |
| Online Submission of Application Forms | From 10 October 2025 to 30 October 2025 (Upto 05.00 PM) as notified on 10th October 2025 |
| Date of Examination | January 2026 |
| Medium of Question Paper | Candidate can choose any of the 13 languages listed in the Information Bulletin. |
The National Testing Agency (NTA) will conduct the All- India Sainik School Entrance Examination - AISSEE 2026 for admission to
- Sainik Schools (SS): Class VI and Class IX of the 33 Sainik Schools for the academic year 2026-27 and
- Approved New Sainik Schools (NSS): Class VI of all 69 approved New Sainik Schools for the academic year 2026-27
- Approved New Sainik Schools (NSS): Class IX of the 19 New Sainik Schools for the academic year 2026-27
Exam will be conducted in 190 cities across India.
Duration and Timing of examination
| Exam for admission to | Duration | Timing |
| Class VI | 150 minutes | 02:00 pm to 04:30 pm |
| Class IX | 180 minutes | 02:00 pm to 05:00 pm |
Qualifying requirements – Passing Marks for Admission
Min. 25% marks in each section and 40% marks in the aggregate are required to qualify Sainik School Admission exam AISSEE 2025. This does not apply to SC, ST candidates.
Sainik School Admission Process 2026-2027
AISSEE 2026 covers admission to Class VI and IX of Sainik Schools and Class VI of approved New Sainik Schools (NSS) for the academic year 2026-27.
Candidates can apply for AISSEE 2026 “Online” only on the website https://exams.nta.nic.in/sainik-school-society/. Application form is common for admission to both Sainik Schools and approved New Sainik Schools (NSS). You can download the AISSEE 2026 Brochure.
Merit list will be prepared based on the marks secured in AISSEE 2026. It will be prepared School wise, category wise (Home State and outside State), separately for boys and girls.
Steps for Filling AISSEE 2026 Online Application Form
Step 1: Register online using unique Email ID and Mobile No.
Step 2: Fill in the Online Application Form and note down the system generated Application No. Upload all the required documents.
Step 3: Pay fee using SBI/ICICI Bank Payment Gateway through Debit Card/Credit Card/Net Banking/UPI and keep proof of fee paid.
Step 4: Download save and print copies of confirmation page after successful remittance of fee and keep copies safely for future reference.
Step 5: Candidates can download their admit cards from the NTA website using their Application Number and Date of Birth and read the instructions contained therein carefully.
Step 6: After Exam OMR Answer Sheets, Recorded Responses and Provisional Answer Keys will be displayed on the website
Eligibility Criteria for Admission
For admission to Class VI,
- a candidate should be between 10-12 years of age, as on 31.03.2026
- Candidate should be born between 01 April 2014 and 31 March 2016 (Both days inclusive)
- Admission for Girls is open for Class VI. Age criteria is same as boys.
For admission to Class IX
- A candidate should be between 13 and 15 years as on 31 March 2026, for admission to Class IX, i.e.
- Should have been born between 01 April 2011 and 31 March 2013 (both days inclusive) for admission to the academic year 2026-27.
- Admission to Class IX is open for girls. Age criteria is same as boys.
Reservation Criteria for Admission to SAINIK SCHOOLS
- 67% of the seats are reserved for candidates domiciled in the State/ UT where the Sainik School is located.
- 33% of the seats are reserved for candidates from Other States and Union Territories (UT).
Within each Category seats will be reserved on the following lines:
- 15% of the seats are reserved for the category Scheduled Caste (SC)
- 7.5% for the category Scheduled Tribe (ST) and
- 27% for the category Other Backward Classes belonging to the Non-Creamy layer (OBC-NCL) as per the central list.
Important Dates for AISSEE 2026 – Sainik School Admission 2026
Check below the important dates for AISSEE 2025 for admission to Sainik Schools.
| Particular | Dates |
| Online Submission of Application Forms | From 10 October 2025 to 30th October 2025 (Upto 05:00 PM) as notified on 10th October 2025 |
| Last Date of Successful Transaction of Fee through Credit/ Debit Card/Net-Banking | 31st October 2025 Upto 11:50 PM |
| Correction of details filled in application Form on Website only | 02.11.2025 to 04.11.2025 |
| Downloading of Admit Cards from NTA website | Will be announced on the NTA website later |
| Date of Examination | January 2026 |
| Display of OMR Answer Sheets | Will be announced on NTA website later |
| Declaration of Result | Will be declared within 06 weeks after exam |
Admission Exam Fee
| Category | Fee |
| General/Wards of Defence personnel and ex-servicemen/OBC (NCL)* as per central list | Rs. 850 |
| Scheduled castes/Scheduled tribes | Rs. 700 |
Documents Required for Sainik School Admission Online application AISSEE
Following documents are require for Sainik school admission online application 2026-27
- Scanned images of Candidate’s Photograph
- Candidate’s Signature.
- Candidate’s left-hand thumb impression.
- Date of Birth Certificate
- Domicile Certificate
- Caste/Community/ Category Certificate( if applicable)
- Certificate of service (for Defence category-serving) and PPO for Exservicemen, if applicable.
- Certificate from the Principal certifying that the applicant is studying in the approved New Sainik School. (Applicable only for those who are studying currently in approved New Sainik Schools)
Scheme of Examination for Admission to Sainik Schools – AISSEE
Mode of Examination: Paper pencil on OMR answer sheets for admission to both Class VI and Class IX.
Type of Questions: Multiple Choice Questions
Topics and Weightage for Class VI Exam
| Section | Topic | No of Questions | Marks | Total Marks |
| A | Language | 25 | 2 | 50 |
| B | Mathematics | 50 | 3 | 150 |
| C | Intelligence | 25 | 2 | 50 |
| D | General Knowledge | 25 | 2 | 50 |
| Total | 125 | 300 |
Topics and Weightage for Class IX Exam
| Section | Topic | No of Questions | Marks | Total Marks |
| A | Mathematics | 50 | 4 | 200 |
| B | Intelligence | 25 | 2 | 50 |
| C | English | 25 | 2 | 50 |
| D | General Science | 25 | 2 | 50 |
| E | Social Science | 25 | 2 | 50 |
| Total | 150 | 400 |
MEDIUM OF EXAMINATION
For admission to Class IX: English only
For admission to Class VI:
- English
- Hindi
- Marathi
- Odiya
- Bengali
- Assamese
- Punjabi
- Tamil
- Gujarati
- Telugu
- Kannada
- Urdu
- Malayalam
AISSEE Sainik School Result 2026
AISSEE 2026 will conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA) on January 2026 in the pen paper mode at 527 centres, located in 190 Cities across India, for admission to Class VI and Class IX of the Sainik Schools & New Sainik Schools.
Check here for Sainik school entrance exam (AISSEE 2025) result. Sainik school admission 2026 results will be announced on the official website (NTA) in March 2025.
About Sainik Schools
Sainik Schools Society (SSS) runs Sainik Schools which are English medium residential schools affiliated to CBSE. Sainik Schools prepare Cadets to join the National Defence Academy (NDA), Khadakwasla (Pune), Indian Naval Academy, Ezhimala and other Training Academies for officers. At present there are a total of 33 Sainik Schools across the country.
New Sainik Schools(NSS)
Ministry of Defence (MoD) has approved setting up of 69 New Sainik Schools, in partnership with NGOs/private schools/State Governments. These Approved New Sainik Schools, besides their affiliation to respective Education Boards, will function under the aegis of Sainik Schools Society.
There are two channels of admission to approved NSS:
- 40% route (Category ‘A’). Minimum 40% of the seats under the Sainik School stream in approved NSSs will be filled on the basis of the rank secured in the All India Merit List of AISSEE-2026.
- 60% route (Category ‘B’). Upto 60% of the seats in NSSs will be filled by those who are currently studying in any of the approved NSSs. They will be filled on the basis of rank secured in Schoolwise Merit List.
For detailed information download the AISSEE 2026 Brochure.
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