Skip to content

AISSEE (Sainik School entrance)

Evidence status: 🟢 official. Every number below is from the AISSEE 2026 Information Bulletin and the NTA public notice dated 10.10.2025, both fetched from official domains on 2026-09-28.

AISSEE admits students to Class 6 and Class 9 in Sainik Schools (English-medium CBSE residential schools run by the Sainik Schools Society under the Ministry of Defence), which prepare cadets for the National Defence Academy and other officer-training academies. The National Testing Agency (NTA) conducts the exam. For 2026-27 it also covers Class 6 in all 69 approved New Sainik Schools and Class 9 in the 19 approved New Sainik Schools that have progressed to Class 9.

At a glance
Conducted by National Testing Agency, for the Sainik Schools Society
Entry classes Class 6 and Class 9, academic year 2026-27
Mode Pen-and-paper OMR test, multiple-choice questions, no negative marking
AISSEE 2026 dates (per notice) Online applications 10.10.2025–30.10.2025 (to 5:00 PM); fee payable to 31.10.2025 (11:50 PM); corrections 02.11.2025–04.11.2025; exam in January 2026; results 4–6 weeks after the exam
Application fee Rs. 850 (General / OBC-NCL / wards of Defence personnel and ex-servicemen); Rs. 700 (SC / ST)
Class 6 eligibility Age 10–12 years as on 31.03.2026 (born 01.04.2014–31.03.2016, both days inclusive); passed or appearing in Class 5 as on 31.03.2026
Class 9 eligibility Age 13–15 years as on 31.03.2026 (born 01.04.2011–31.03.2013, both days inclusive); passed or appearing in Class 8 as on 31.03.2026
Girls Eligible to apply (check the school concerned for its admission policy)

Official sources

Exam pattern

Class 6 entry: 125 questions, 300 marks, 150 minutes (2:00 PM–4:30 PM). Question booklet in 13 mediums: English, Hindi, Assamese, Bengali, Gujarati, Kannada, Malayalam, Marathi, Odia, Punjabi, Tamil, Telugu, Urdu. English/Hindi opters get a bilingual (English + Hindi) booklet; regional-language opters get their language plus English. In any translation ambiguity the English version is final (except the Language section).

Section Topic Questions Marks each 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

Class 9 entry: 150 questions, 400 marks, 180 minutes (2:00 PM–5:00 PM), English medium only.

Section Topic Questions Marks each 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

No negative marking for a wrong response in either paper.

Qualifying criteria: for admission to a Sainik School, General / OBC-NCL / Defence / ex-servicemen candidates need at least 25% marks in each section and 40% in aggregate (no minimum applies to SC/ST candidates). For approved New Sainik Schools, every candidate needs 25% in each section and 40% in aggregate, irrespective of category. Final admission follows the AISSEE merit list, subject to vacancies, medical fitness and document verification.

Syllabus

The bulletin gives the full topic lists in Appendix II (Class 6 entry, Class 5 level) and Appendix III (Class 9 entry, Class 8 level), with a question/marks break-up per topic. Broadly:

  • Class 6 entry: Language, Mathematics, Intelligence, General Knowledge at Class 5 level.
  • Class 9 entry: Mathematics, Intelligence, English, General Science, Social Science at Class 8 level.

How to prepare (free, in order)

  1. Mathematics carries half the marks in both papers (150/300 for Class 6, 200/400 for Class 9): practise it daily from NCERT Class 5 (Class 6 entry) or Class 8 (Class 9 entry) books.
  2. Work through the remaining sections topic by topic from the bulletin appendices, using the same NCERT textbooks.
  3. Solve the previous years' AISSEE question papers hosted on the NTA website under timed, OMR-style conditions (no negative marking, so attempt every question).

Free resources