Sainik School eligibility through the AISSEE depends on the entry class and on the child’s age on 31 March of the admission year. In the 2026 bulletin, which is the latest published, Class 6 candidates had to be between 10 and 12 years old and Class 9 candidates between 13 and 15, and Class 9 candidates also had to have passed Class 8 from a recognised school. Girls are eligible: Class 6 is open to them, and Class 9 is open subject to availability of vacancies.
The bulletin for AISSEE-2027 had not been released when we checked the NTA page on 12 October 2026, so the dates below are last year’s. Use them to understand the rules, then check your child against the new bulletin the day it appears.
Age and class: the 2026 rules
| Entry class | Age on 31 March 2026 | Date of birth (both days included) | Class condition |
|---|---|---|---|
| Class 6 | 10 to 12 years | 1 April 2014 to 31 March 2016 | No class condition is stated for the Sainik Schools themselves |
| Class 9 | 13 to 15 years | 1 April 2011 to 31 March 2013 | Class 8 passed from a recognised school at the time of admission |
Age is counted on 31 March of the year of admission, and the date-of-birth range is fixed by the bulletin, not estimated by the school. For admission in 2026-27 that date was 31 March 2026. Whether the 2027 bulletin keeps the same cut-off date and the same age bands is not yet known, so we do not print 2027 dates of birth here. A family that guesses a range and gets it wrong loses a year.
Can girls apply?
| Entry | Girls in the 2026 bulletin |
|---|---|
| Sainik Schools, Class 6 | Admission for girls is open, with the same age criteria as boys. |
| Sainik Schools, Class 9 | Admission for girls is open, subject to availability of vacancies. |
| Approved New Sainik Schools | Girls are eligible to apply, but candidates must check the admission policy on the website of the school concerned. |
In Class 6 of each Sainik School, the bulletin and the Society’s counselling procedure set aside 10 per cent of the class strength, or 10 seats, whichever is more, for girls. The Society’s order of 28 October 2019 explains the background: girls were first admitted to Sainik School Chhingchhip as a pilot and the decision was then extended to other Sainik Schools in a phased manner from the 2021-22 session. Check the vacancy tables in the bulletin before you list school preferences.
Home state, outside state and reservation
For the 33 Sainik Schools, 67 per cent of the seats are reserved for candidates domiciled in the state or union territory where the school stands, and 33 per cent for candidates from other states. A child counts as home state or outside state school by school, depending on where the family is domiciled and where the school is. A child from Uttarakhand, for example, is home state for Sainik School Ghorakhal and outside state for every other Sainik School.
Within each of the two quotas the 2026 bulletin sets aside 15 per cent of seats for Scheduled Castes, 7.5 per cent for Scheduled Tribes and 27 per cent for Other Backward Classes in the non-creamy layer under the central list. Of the balance, 25 per cent goes to wards of serving personnel and ex-servicemen of the Army, Navy and Air Force. The bulletin illustrates a school with 100 seats like this.
| Category | Seats out of 100, as in the bulletin’s illustration |
|---|---|
| Scheduled Castes | 15 |
| Scheduled Tribes | 7 |
| OBC (non-creamy layer) | 27 |
| Defence wards | 13 |
| General | 38 |
Two more rules matter. Seats under the other-state quota are given by merit, but no single state or union territory may get more than 25 per cent of the other-state vacancies in a school. And the bulletin notes that the reservation of seats in Sainik Schools is subject to the outcome of an appeal pending before the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court. Read that line again in the new bulletin.
Documents decide which box a child falls in. A domicile certificate is needed, and if the child’s own is not available, the bulletin allows the parent’s to be uploaded. Where a category applies, the certificate must be valid and, for OBC, the caste must be on the central list.
The partnership route: approved New Sainik Schools
The approved New Sainik Schools run in partnership with NGOs, private schools and state governments, and they have their own admission rules. For Class 6 the bulletin lists 69 of them, and 19 admit to Class 9. Domicile and category are not considered for the open route, so the same age rule applies but the home state and outside state split does not.
| Route | Who is eligible | Merit list |
|---|---|---|
| 40 per cent route | Any eligible candidate who qualifies in AISSEE, aged 10 to 12 for Class 6 or 13 to 15 for Class 9 on the cut-off date | All-India merit list, no domicile or category |
| Up to 60 per cent route | Only children already studying in that school, who were in Class 5 or Class 8 on the cut-off date | School-wise merit list, no domicile or category |
Admission policy, board, fee, medium and residential arrangements vary from one New Sainik School to another, and the bulletin tells candidates to check each school’s website. Admission to one does not confer any right to a seat in the 33 older Sainik Schools.
Qualifying marks
To be eligible for admission to a Sainik School, a candidate must score at least 25 per cent in each section and 40 per cent in aggregate, except for Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe candidates, to whom the minimum does not apply. For the approved New Sainik Schools the minimum applies to all candidates, including SC and ST. Qualifying is not the same as admission, and our guide to AISSEE result, cut-off and counselling explains what comes next.
Documents to keep ready
- Date of birth certificate issued by the competent authority
- Domicile certificate of the candidate, or of a parent if the child’s is not available
- Category certificate, if a category applies
- Service certificate for serving defence personnel, or the PPO for ex-servicemen, if the defence category is claimed
- A certificate from the principal, for candidates studying in an approved New Sainik School
- Scanned photograph, signature and left-hand thumb impression in the sizes the bulletin specifies
A five-step self-check for your child
- Write down the exact date of birth from the birth certificate.
- Test it against the date-of-birth range in the bulletin for that entry class, counting both end dates.
- For Class 9, confirm that Class 8 will be passed from a recognised school before admission.
- Decide which school you will list first and work out whether your family is home state or outside state for it. If it helps, free counselling is available by phone or WhatsApp on +91 70170 31757.
- Look at the vacancy table in the bulletin for that school before you finalise preferences.
Sainik School eligibility: common questions
FAQs
Questions parents ask us.
Can't find yours? Ask on WhatsApp; a counsellor usually replies within working hours.
Ask on WhatsAppWhat is the age limit for Sainik School Class 6?
In the 2026 bulletin, a Class 6 candidate had to be between 10 and 12 years on 31 March 2026, born between 1 April 2014 and 31 March 2016, both days included. Check the new bulletin for the next cycle.
What is the age limit for Sainik School Class 9?
In the 2026 bulletin, a Class 9 candidate had to be between 13 and 15 years on 31 March 2026, born between 1 April 2011 and 31 March 2013, and to have passed Class 8 from a recognised school at the time of admission.
Can girls apply to Sainik Schools?
Yes. The bulletin says admission for girls is open in Class 6 and, subject to availability of vacancies, in Class 9, with the same age criteria as boys.
Do I need a domicile certificate?
Yes. Domicile decides whether a child counts as home state or outside state for a school, and the bulletin lists a domicile certificate among the documents to upload.
Is there a minimum percentage to qualify?
For Sainik Schools a candidate needs 25 per cent in each section and 40 per cent in aggregate, except SC and ST candidates. In approved New Sainik Schools it applies to everyone.
Is there an interview?
No. The Sainik Schools Society discontinued the admission interview from the 2019-20 session. Admission follows the written test, e-counselling and a medical examination.
Has the AISSEE-2027 bulletin been released?
Not when we checked on 12 October 2026. NTA's tentative calendar of 16 September 2026 lists the exam for 31 January 2027, and the bulletin will confirm age rules and dates.
Sources
- NTA, AISSEE portal (information bulletin, public notices, answer keys)
- NTA, AISSEE-2026 information bulletin (PDF)
- Sainik Schools Society, AISSAC 2026 standard operating procedure (PDF)
- Sainik Schools Society, order of 28 October 2019 on admission of girl students (PDF)
- Sainik Schools Society, order of 4 July 2018 discontinuing the admission interview (PDF)
- NTA, public notice of 16 September 2026 with the examination calendar up to March 2027 (PDF)
- Sainik Schools Society, existing schools
If your child is a good fit on paper and you are weighing coaching, read about our classroom Sainik School coaching in Dehradun. See the fee structure for current fees, or for the full admission process, our Sainik School admission guide.
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