Sainik School Admission Criteria require candidates for Class VI to be between 10 and 12 years old as of March 31, 2026, and to have passed Class V from a recognised school. Both boys and girls can apply. For Class IX, candidates must be 13 to 15 years old by March 31, 2026, have passed Class VIII, and girls may be admitted if seats are available.
General, OBC (Non-Creamy Layer), and Defence category students must score at least 25% per subject and 40% overall in the Sainik School Entrance Exam. SC/ST students qualify based on category rank, eligibility, medical test, and submission of documents. Admission to both classes is granted through the AISSEE exam, followed by Sainik School e-counselling and a medical test.
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Also Read: Sainik School Reservation
Sainik School Admission Criteria
Admission criteria for Sainik Schools require students to clear the AISSEE exam for Classes 6 and 9. Admissions are done through Sainik School E-Counselling based on the student’s rank in the school-wise, gender-wise, and category-wise merit list of Sainik School, along with medical fitness and document verification. For approved New Sainik Schools, the admission process is the same, but students can get admission through two different routes.
40% Route (Category ‘A’): At least 40% of seats in the Sainik School stream of approved New Sainik Schools will be given based on rank in the AISSEE-2026 All India Merit List. Except for the Belagavi Sainik School, domicile or category does not matter, and students can choose any NSS in India during counselling.
60% Route (Category ‘B’): Up to 60% of the seats in NSSs will go to students who are already studying in one of the approved NSSs. Authorities will give these seats based on each student’s rank in the School-wise Merit List. Here too, students’ domicile and category will not play any role.
The major components of Sainik School Admission Criteria are as follows:
- Fulfilling the eligibility criteria for admission to either Class 6 or 9.
- Passing the AISSEE NTA Sainik School with prescribed minimum passing marks, and achieving a good rank in the merit list.
- Clearing the medical test of the chosen Sainik School.
- Furnish all the required documents in original for verification purposes at the time of final admission.
If any of the above components are missed by any candidate, they will become ineligible for Sainik School Admission Process.
Admission criteria also strictly follow the Sainik School reservation rules, which are as follows:
- 67% of seats for candidates domiciled in the school’s home state
- 33% for candidates from other states/UTs. Now, within each of these divisions, the breakdown is as follows:
- 15% for SC
- 7.5% for ST
- 27% for OBC-NCL
- 25% is reserved for the defence category (ward of serving/ex-service personnel).
Ezyschooling Advantage for Sainik School Admission
Ezyschooling is a school discovery & admissions platform with 8+ years of experience in K-12 admissions. It makes the admission process simple, from researching the right schools to filling out and submitting applications without errors. EzySchooling can guide parents through the Sainik School admission procedure by listing 7 reputed boarding schools that train for the NDA exam and help students prepare for the Sainik School entrance exam for Classes 6 and 9.
Parents can also check more details about the above-mentioned schools by clicking the links below:
- Jhunjhunu Academy
- Career Defence School, Patiala
- Career Defence School, Ambala
- Career Defence School, Yamuna Nagar
- Good Day Defence School, Hanumangarh
- Syna International School, Katni
- GRD World School, Dehradun
Still confused? You can click on the ‘Enquiry’ option shown below to talk to our experts and get full clarity about the Sainik School admission process.
Also Read: Sainik School Mock Test
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FAQs
1. What is 40% route (category A) in Sainik School admission criteria?
Students can get at least 40% of seats in the Sainik School stream of approved NSSs through the All India Merit List of AISSEE-2026. Except at Belagavi NSS, domicile or category doesn’t matter, and students can pick any NSS during counselling.
2. Can normal school students join Sainik Schools?
Yes, any student who has attended a recognised school (such as CBSE, ICSE, or a state board) and meets the age criteria is eligible to apply for Sainik School admission through the AISSEE entrance test.
3. Is getting admission to Sainik School difficult?
Yes, getting Sainik School admission is competitive due to high demand and a limited number of seats. Also, the fact that the entrance exam tests advanced reasoning skills and time-management skills beyond the standard school curricula. In 2024, only about 5.75% of Class 6 AISSEE applicants secured a seat, and nearly 95% were unsuccessful.
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