Sainik School Admission (AISSEE) Guide

Sainik Schools are residential schools run by the Sainik Schools Society, with a strong tradition of preparing students for the Armed Forces. Admission to Class 6 and Class 9 is through one national test, the All India Sainik Schools Entrance Examination (AISSEE), conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA). Families in Uttarakhand often ask where the Sainik School is, whether there is one in Dehradun, and how the test works.

This guide explains the AISSEE using the NTA’s information bulletin for AISSEE 2026, which is the latest published bulletin at the time of writing. For the next cycle, NTA’s tentative calendar (16 September 2026) lists AISSEE 2027 on 31 January 2027; confirm the date on the official notice. Use the 2026 cycle as a guide to timing and format, then read the new bulletin when it appears.

Sainik School admission at a glance

Who can apply: age, class and girls

Age is counted on 31 March of the admission year. In the 2026 bulletin the bands were:

For admission in 2027, these windows will move forward by a year, and the new bulletin will print the dates. Girls are eligible to apply to the Sainik Schools. Some approved new Sainik Schools have their own admission policy for girls, so the bulletin advises candidates to check the website of the school concerned before applying.

The Class 6 question paper can be taken in any of 13 languages listed in the bulletin. The Class 9 paper is in English only.

Exam pattern

Both papers consist of multiple-choice questions, and a wrong answer carries no negative marking.

Class 6 (125 questions, 300 marks, 150 minutes)

Class 9 (150 questions, 400 marks, 180 minutes)

In both papers, Mathematics carries half the total marks. That is the single most important fact for planning preparation.

Qualifying marks and the merit list

For the Sainik Schools, the bulletin requires a minimum of 25 percent in each section and 40 percent in aggregate, and says this does not apply to SC and ST candidates. Merit lists are then prepared school-wise and category-wise (home state and outside state), separately for boys and girls. The concept of home state and outside state depends on the candidate’s domicile and the location of the Sainik School chosen. Reservation by domicile and category exists as per the rules in the bulletin.

Candidates who qualify have to apply for e-counselling, where seats are allotted according to rank, preferences, medical fitness and verification of original documents.

The application process and timeline

Applications are made online on the NTA website. In the 2026 cycle, the steps were: register, fill in the form with scanned images, pay the fee online, and print the confirmation page. The window ran from 10 to 30 October 2025, with a correction window in early November, and admit cards were released in January before the exam.

Watch the NTA’s Sainik School Society page from early October. If the pattern holds, the application will open in the autumn and the test will be held in January. Keep ready the candidate’s photograph, signature, date of birth proof, domicile certificate and, where applicable, category certificate.

Sainik School in Dehradun and Uttarakhand

The bulletin lists one Sainik School in Uttarakhand: Uttarakhand Sainik School, Ghorakhal. Dehradun appears in the bulletin as an examination city, so families in Dehradun can sit the test locally. Candidates sometimes confuse Sainik Schools with the Rashtriya Indian Military College (RIMC) in Dehradun. RIMC is a separate college with its own entrance examination for Class 8 and its own process, and we explain it in our RIMC admission guide.

Class 6 or Class 9: which entry suits your child?

Class 6 admission starts the Sainik School journey early. Students spend seven years in a residential, disciplined environment, so the entry suits families who are sure about the defence-oriented path and the boarding life. The paper tests fundamentals from the primary years, with Mathematics weighted at 150 of 300 marks.

Class 9 admission suits students who are already comfortable with school-level Mathematics, Science and Social Science and want the Sainik School environment for the senior years. The paper is in English, it is longer at three hours, and Mathematics carries 200 of 400 marks. The bulletin lists tentative vacancies school by school, so check them before you list preferences.

Whichever class you choose, plan at least a year of steady preparation. Short bursts before the exam rarely help in a paper that rewards accuracy in Mathematics.

Mistakes parents should avoid

• Waiting for the notification before beginning preparation. The window for applying is short and the exam is held a few weeks later.
• Choosing schools only by name, without checking the seats open to home-state and outside-state candidates.
• Ignoring the medical requirement until counselling begins.
• Treating coaching as a replacement for school learning. The test builds on school-level concepts.
• Relying on old information. Age windows, fees and dates change every cycle.

How to prepare

1. Build strong Mathematics from the start. With half the marks in Mathematics in both papers, work on arithmetic, fractions, ratio, geometry and mensuration (Class 6) and on algebra, geometry and number systems (Class 9). Aim for accuracy and speed together, since 50 questions are asked in a limited time.
2. Practise the Intelligence section. It covers reasoning, patterns, series and analogies, which improve quickly with daily practice.
3. Read for Language and English. Reading comprehension, grammar and vocabulary all matter. Encourage reading newspapers and storybooks in the language of the paper.
4. General Knowledge and Science. For Class 6, keep a notebook of facts about India, science and current events. For Class 9, revise NCERT Science and Social Science up to Class 8.
5. Solve timed OMR sets. Learn to mark answers quickly and avoid carrying mistakes from one question to the next.
6. Keep the child’s health in good shape. Admission also needs medical fitness, so regular exercise and nutrition help.

Because no negative marking applies, attempt every question. A calculated guess is better than a blank.

Parents’ checklist

• Read the new bulletin as soon as it appears. Confirm age, class and the list of schools.
• Choose schools and preferences carefully. Home-state seats are separate from outside-state seats.
• Prepare the documents early, including the domicile certificate.
• Decide how your child will be coached, and check that the batch size, schedule and teacher support suit the child.
• Visit the shortlisted school’s website and ask about fees, boarding and academics. This guide does not state the fees of individual schools because the bulletin directs candidates to each school.

Frequently asked questions

Looking for guidance in Dehradun? GS India Defence Academy offers classroom Sainik School coaching in Dehradun with separate hostels for boys and girls. Call +91 70170 31757 or message us on WhatsApp for batch details.