Sainik School Entrance Exam — Complete AISSEE Guide
AISSEE guide: exam pattern, age limits, reservation, fees and preparation for Class 6 and Class 9 Sainik School admission, with 2026 dates and 2027 timing.
Sainik Schools are English-medium, CBSE-affiliated residential schools run by the Sainik Schools Society under the Ministry of Defence, set up to prepare cadets for the National Defence Academy (NDA) and other officer training academies. There are 33 Sainik Schools across India, and admission to Class 6 and Class 9 is through the All India Sainik Schools Entrance Examination (AISSEE), conducted by NTA. The same exam also admits students to the approved New Sainik Schools. This guide covers the exam pattern, eligibility, preparation strategy and fees.
What Are Sainik Schools?
- 33 schools across India — at least one in most states
- CBSE affiliated English-medium residential schools with defence-oriented training
- Subsidised fees — plus a Defence scholarship for wards of defence personnel
- NDA preparation — structured training for the National Defence Academy and other officer academies
- Holistic development — academics, sports, NCC, adventure activities, leadership training
- Girls admitted in Class 6, with at least 10% of seats (or 10 seats) reserved for them
- Approved New Sainik Schools — schools run in partnership with private schools, NGOs and state governments; in 2026-27, 69 of them admitted Class 6 students through AISSEE
AISSEE — Exam Pattern
Class 6 Entry
| Section | Questions | Marks | Key Topics |
|---|---|---|---|
| Language | 25 | 50 | Comprehension passage, grammar (nouns, pronouns, verbs, tenses, articles, prepositions), vocabulary, synonyms/antonyms, idioms, sentence formation — up to Class 5 level |
| Mathematics | 50 | 150 | Natural numbers, LCM/HCF, fractions, decimals, ratio and proportion, percentage, profit and loss, simple interest, average, unitary method, angles, circle, area and perimeter, volume, speed and time, Roman numerals |
| Intelligence | 25 | 50 | Analogies, patterns, classification, visual and logical reasoning, series, problem solving, family relations |
| General Knowledge | 25 | 50 | National symbols, India at a glance, art and culture, awards and personalities, Indian defence, sports, solar system, water cycle, energy, food and farming, daily-life science |
- Total: 125 questions, 300 marks (Maths 3 marks per question; other sections 2)
- Duration: 150 minutes (2.5 hours)
- Mode: Pen and paper on OMR sheets, conducted by NTA
- Medium: English, Hindi or 11 regional languages
- Negative marking: No
Class 9 Entry
| Section | Questions | Marks | Key Topics |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mathematics | 50 | 200 | Rational numbers, linear equations, quadrilaterals and triangles, Pythagoras theorem, squares/cubes and roots, percentage, profit and loss, interest, algebra, mensuration, exponents, proportion, data handling, probability (Class 8 level) |
| Intelligence | 25 | 50 | Analogies, patterns, classification, visual and logical reasoning, series, problem solving, family relations |
| English | 25 | 50 | Comprehension, spotting errors, grammar, vocabulary, sentence improvement, narration, voice |
| General Science | 25 | 50 | Class 8 level science — combustion, cells, force and pressure, sound, light, metals and non-metals, micro-organisms, pollution, adolescence |
| Social Science | 25 | 50 | Geography of India, resources, the Constitution, Parliament and elections, economics, Indian history |
- Total: 150 questions, 400 marks (Maths 4 marks per question; other sections 2)
- Duration: 180 minutes (3 hours)
- Medium: English only
Qualifying marks: for the 33 Sainik Schools you need at least 25% in each section and 40% overall; no minimum is prescribed for SC and ST candidates, who are admitted on merit within their category. For the approved New Sainik Schools the 25%/40% rule applies to everyone.
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Mathematics carries the most marks in AISSEE. Super Tutor has chapter summaries, revision notes and practice quizzes for CBSE Class 5 and Class 8 Maths — the base the Class 6 and Class 9 papers build on.
Practise Maths — FreeAdmission Process — Step by Step
- Registration — Apply online at exams.nta.nic.in/sainik-school-society. For AISSEE 2026 the form opened on 10 October 2025 (the deadline was later extended); the AISSEE 2027 dates have not been announced, but expect a similar October–November window
- Application fee (2026): ₹850 (General, wards of defence personnel/ex-servicemen, OBC-NCL), ₹700 (SC/ST)
- Admit card — Download from the NTA website about a week before the exam (2026: released on 12 January)
- AISSEE exam — Held in January (2026: Sunday 18 January; Class 6 from 2:00 to 4:30 pm, Class 9 from 2:00 to 5:00 pm)
- Result — Declared on the NTA website (2026: late February)
- E-counselling (AISSAC) — Register on the Sainik Schools e-counselling portal; seats are allotted school-wise, by rank, category, gender and home-state quota
- Medical examination — Shortlisted candidates undergo a medical fitness test
- Document verification and admission — Original documents are verified at the Sainik School; admission depends on AISSEE merit, medical fitness and documents
Seat Reservation (33 Sainik Schools)
| Category | Reservation |
|---|---|
| Home state/UT candidates | 67% of seats |
| Other states/UTs | 33% of seats (no single state gets more than 25% of these) |
| SC | 15% (within each of the above) |
| ST | 7.5% |
| OBC (Non-Creamy Layer, Central list) | 27% |
| Defence | 25% of the remaining 50.5% (wards of serving and ex-servicemen) |
| Girls (Class 6) | 10% of seats or 10 seats, whichever is higher |
These are the AISSEE 2026 rules; NTA noted that the reservation of seats is subject to the outcome of an appeal pending before the Madras High Court. The approved New Sainik Schools do not apply domicile or category quotas (with one exception listed in the bulletin).
Fees
Sainik School fees are fixed by each school and are not the same everywhere, so we don't quote a single figure. Check the fee structure on your chosen school's website before you apply. Wards of defence personnel can get a Defence scholarship, and some state governments offer scholarships to cadets from their state. Approved New Sainik Schools have their own fee structures.
List of All 33 Sainik Schools
| State/UT | Sainik School |
|---|---|
| Andhra Pradesh | Korukonda, Kalikiri |
| Arunachal Pradesh | East Siang |
| Assam | Goalpara |
| Bihar | Nalanda, Gopalganj |
| Chhattisgarh | Ambikapur |
| Gujarat | Balachadi |
| Haryana | Kunjpura, Rewari |
| Himachal Pradesh | Sujanpur Tira |
| Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh | Nagrota |
| Jharkhand | Tilaiya |
| Karnataka | Bijapur, Kodagu |
| Kerala | Kazhakootam |
| Madhya Pradesh | Rewa |
| Maharashtra | Satara, Chandrapur |
| Manipur | Imphal |
| Mizoram | Chhingchhip |
| Nagaland | Punglwa |
| Odisha | Bhubaneswar, Sambalpur |
| Punjab | Kapurthala |
| Rajasthan | Chittorgarh, Jhunjhunu |
| Tamil Nadu | Amaravathinagar |
| Uttar Pradesh | Mainpuri, Jhansi, Amethi |
| Uttarakhand | Ghorakhal |
| West Bengal | Purulia |
Source: the AISSEE 2026 information bulletin (Appendix I-A), which also gives each school's website. The approved New Sainik Schools are listed separately in Appendix I-B.
Preparation Tips
- Mathematics is king. It carries 50% of the marks for Class 6 (150/300) and for Class 9 (200/400). Master every topic in your NCERT maths textbook.
- GK needs current affairs. Read a children's newspaper or magazine weekly. Focus on: sports events, national awards, capitals, important dates, famous personalities, and India's defence forces.
- Intelligence section — practise reasoning puzzles daily. Start with easy ones and increase difficulty. It overlaps with the mental ability questions in JNVST.
- Previous year papers are the best preparation tool. NTA publishes earlier AISSEE question papers on its website — solve all available ones timed.
- Physical fitness matters — even though the written exam comes first, you must pass the medical examination. Start building stamina and fitness early.
Based on NTA's AISSEE 2026 information bulletin and notices, and the Sainik Schools Society's AISSAC 2026 notice. AISSEE 2027 dates, fees and rules will be in its own bulletin — check exams.nta.nic.in/sainik-school-society.
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Start freeFrequently Asked Questions
What is the fee structure of Sainik Schools?
Fees are set by each Sainik School and differ from school to school, so check the fee structure on the website of the school you are applying to (the AISSEE information bulletin lists every school's website). Wards of defence personnel can get a Defence scholarship, and some state governments offer scholarships to home-state cadets. The approved New Sainik Schools, run in partnership with private schools, NGOs and state governments, set their own fees.
Is Sainik School only for boys?
No. Girls can apply for Class 6 at Sainik Schools, with the same age rules as boys, and for Class 9 where vacancies exist. In each school, 10% of the Class 6 seats or 10 seats, whichever is higher, are reserved for girls. Check the girls' vacancies for each school in the AISSEE information bulletin before you choose.
Do all Sainik School students join the armed forces?
No, there is no compulsion to join the armed forces. Sainik Schools are designed to prepare cadets for the National Defence Academy (NDA), the Indian Naval Academy and other officer training academies, and many cadets go that way, but students are free to choose other careers such as engineering, medicine, civil services or management. The discipline and all-round training help in any career.
What is the AISSEE exam pattern for Class 6?
The AISSEE Class 6 paper has 125 multiple-choice questions for 300 marks in 150 minutes: Language (25 questions × 2 marks = 50), Mathematics (50 × 3 = 150), Intelligence (25 × 2 = 50) and General Knowledge (25 × 2 = 50). There is no negative marking. NTA conducts it as a pen-and-paper test on OMR sheets, and you can take it in English, Hindi or one of 11 other languages.
What is the age limit for Sainik School admission?
For AISSEE 2026, a Class 6 candidate had to be 10 to 12 years old on 31 March 2026 (born between 1 April 2014 and 31 March 2016), and a Class 9 candidate 13 to 15 years old on 31 March 2026 (born between 1 April 2011 and 31 March 2013). The same age rules apply to girls. Expect the windows to move forward by a year for AISSEE 2027 — confirm in its information bulletin.
Which Sainik School is the best in India?
There is no official ranking of Sainik Schools. All 33 are run by the Sainik Schools Society under the Ministry of Defence, are CBSE-affiliated and English-medium, and follow the same admission rules. Since 67% of each school's seats go to candidates from its home state, most families apply to the Sainik School in their own state; compare schools on the cut-off marks and vacancies that are published after each round.