Sainik School Admission – A Comprehensive Guide

Sainik School Admission – Sainik Schools are a network of English medium residential schools affiliated with the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) in India. They are managed by the Sainik Schools Society (SSS) – an autonomous organisation under the Ministry of Defence, Government of India. 

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The primary objective of Sainik Schools is to prepare students for entry into prestigious institutions like the National Defence Academy (NDA) and the Indian Naval Academy (INA).

The intake is conducted through the All India Sainik Schools Entrance Examination (AISSEE). It is conducted by National Testing Agency (NTA) for admission to Classes 6 and 9 in Sainik Schools and approved New Sainik Schools (NSSs). The examination for the year 2024 is going to be held in January 2024. 

Presently, there are 33 Sainik Schools and  18 New Sainik Schools across the country in which candidates can take admission through AISSEE. These schools are operated in partnership with NGOs/private schools/state governments and function under the support of the Sainik Schools Society (SSS). 

The below comprehensive article provides valuable insights into various important aspects related to the institution, including the eligibility criteria, admission process, exam pattern, etc.

Sainik School Admission – Eligibility Criteria

The candidates must fulfil the following eligibility criteria to appear for the All India Sainik Schools Entrance Examination (AISSEE) – 

For students enrolling in Class 6:

Career Assessment Test

  • The candidate should be between 10 and 12 years of age at the time of the entrance exam.

For students enrolling in Class 9:

  • The candidate should be between 13 and 15 years of age at the time of the entrance exam.
  • The candidates must have passed Class 8 examination from a recognised school at the time of admission.

Important Note – 

  • The applicants must have passed/appeared in Class 5 at the time of the entrance exam.
  • Admission to Class 9 is not open for girl students.
  • Candidates should be currently studying in the New Sainik School, where they are seeking admission.

Sainik School Admission – Examination Schedule

Below is the tentative* schedule for the Sainik School admission test.

Online Submission of Application Form October – November 
Last Date of Successful Transaction of

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Fee through Credit/Debit card/NetBanking

End of November 
Correction of details filled in Application form on the website only First week of December 
Downloading of admit cards from NTA

website

Will be announced on the NTA official website
Date of Examination First week of January 

*The above timeline is tentative and can be changed at the discretion of the provider.

Sainik School Admission – Selection Criteria

The admission of students will be carried out based on e-counselling as per rank secured by the candidates in the merit list of the Sainik School admission test, medical fitness approved by competent medical authorities and verification of original documents. 

Following are the two channels of admission to approved New Sainik School (NSS):

  • 40% route: 40% of the seats under the Sainik School stream in approved NSSs will be filled based on the rank secured in the All India Merit List of Sainik School admission test. Under this, students can opt for any NSS in India, at the time of counselling.
  • 60% route: Up to 60% of the seats in NSSs will be filled by those who are currently studying in any of the approved NSSs. These seats will be filled based on the rank secured in the school-wise merit list. 

Note: 

  • Domicile/category will not be considered for the merit list for admission in Class 9.
  • For this list of approved NSSs, refer to the ‘Information Bulletin of Sainik School admission test’ below.

Sainik School Admission – Documents Required

  • Passport-size photograph (Size: 10kb to 200kb) in JPG format

The applicants must keep the following points in mind while uploading the photograph:

  • Spectacles are allowed only if being used regularly.
  • Polaroid and computer-generated photos are not acceptable.
  • Photographs must be taken on or after 1st July 2023 preferably indicating clearly the name of the candidate along with the date of taking the photograph. 
  • Photographs should not be with cap or goggles. 
  • The focus needs to be on the face (80% face coverage, ears clearly, visible, on white background.
  • Applicant’s signature (file size must be between 4kb to 30kb in JPG format)

The applicants must keep the following points in mind while uploading the signature:

  • The candidates must put their full signature in running handwriting.
  • No capital letter must be used in the signature and it must be done on white paper using a black ink pen.
  • Online application forms without uploaded signatures will be rejected.
  • In case someone else’s signature has been uploaded, the candidature shall be cancelled and the case will be considered as using unfair mean cases. 
  • Candidate’s left-hand thumb impression

The applicants must keep the following points in mind while uploading the thumb impression:

  • The candidate must affix their left-hand thumb impression on white paper using blue ink and scan it before uploading. 
  • File size must be between 10kb and 50kb in JPG format. 
  • Unclear left-hand thumb impression in online application forms will be rejected.
  • Domicile certificate (Note: If the domicile certificate of the candidate is not available, the domicile certificate of the parent may be uploaded in the relevant field)
  • Caste certificate or service certificate (as applicable)
  • Date of birth certificate
  • Current school certificate (only for students studying in approved New Sainik school)

Note: The above file must be uploaded between 50kb to 300kb in PDF format.

Sainik School Admission – Entrance Examination Syllabus 

Class 6

Sainik School Admission - Entrance Examination Syllabus Class 6

Class 9

Sainik School Admission - Entrance Examination Syllabus Class 9

Note – There will be NO negative markings for wrong answers.

Sainik School Admission – Reservation Criteria

  • A total of 67% of the seats are reserved for students domiciled in the state/UT where the Sainik School is located. While 33% of the seats are reserved for students from other states and UT.
  • 49.50% of the seats in Sainik School will be reserved in the following manner for each category based on the allocation for home state/UT and other states/UT quota:
    • 7.5% of the seats are reserved for the Scheduled Tribe (ST) category 
    • 15% of the seats are reserved for the Scheduled Caste (SC) category 
    • 27% of the seats are reserved for the Other Backward Classes (OBC) category belonging to the Non-Creamy layer (OBCNCL) as per the central list
  • 25% of the seats in both the home state/UT and other states/UT quotas are reserved for the children of defence personnel (serving personnel of the Indian Army/Indian Airforce/Indian Navy) and ex-servicemen. 
  • 10% of the total vacancies or 10 seats, whichever is more, are reserved for girls in Class 6 of each Sainik school.

Sainik School Admission - Reservation Criteria

Important Note:

  • Wards of Coast Guard/Assam Rifles personnel are not entitled for defence scholarships.
  • Wards of Coast Guard/Assam Rifles personnel are required to select SC, ST, OBC (NCL) or General category option, as applicable instead of defence category. 
  • Candidates in the defence category will be considered for admission if vacancies exist after admitting wards of serving and ex-service defence personnel. If any reserved categories (SC, ST, or OBC-NCL) are not available within the home state/UT, the seats will be allotted among available categories to maintain 67% of seats for the home state/UT.
  • No change in the category will be entertained after submission of the application form except the ‘Correction Window’.

Sainik School Admission – Other Important Details

Following are some other important details that applicants interested in enrolling in the Sainik School should know:

  • Merely appearing and passing in All India Sainik Schools Entrance Examination (AISSEE) does not confer any right to the students for admission to the Sainik Schools/approved New Sainik Schools (NSSs).
  • Selection and admission to Sainik Schools/approved New Sainik Schools are based on fulfilling admission criteria, eligibility, merit rank, medical fitness, and verification of original documents as specified by the Sainik School Society (NSSs).
  • Incomplete applications or the ones that are not in accordance with instructions are liable to be rejected without any further intimation. 
  • The examination fee once deposited will not be refunded.
  • Applications once submitted cannot be withdrawn, and candidates must note that fee deduction from the bank account does not serve as proof of fee payment. 
  • Application of candidates providing false and fabricated information will be rejected and they will be further debarred from appearing in examinations conducted by NTA.
  • National Testing Agency (NTA) can withdraw permission from any student who is found ineligible to appear in the AISSEE (All India Sainik School Entrance Examination), even if the NTA has already issued the admit card.
        Information Bulletin of Sainik School admission test (In English)

Sainik School Admission – How to Apply for the Sainik School Admission Test?

Interested candidates can apply for the Sainik school admission test by following the below-mentioned steps:

Step 1: Visit the official website of All India Sainik Schools Entrance Examination (ऑल इंडिया सैनिक स्कूल एंट्रेंस एग्जाम).

How to Apply for the Sainik School Admission Test

Step 2: Click on the ‘AISSEE Application Form’ notification reflecting on the ticker scrolling across the ‘Latest News’ section, whenever it will be available on the official website.

AISSEE Application Form

Step 3: Fill in the required details to ‘Register’.

Sainik School Admission - Register

Step 4: After successful registration, read the instructions carefully, tick the checkbox and click on ‘Click Here to Proceed’.

After successful registrationSainik School Admission - Click Here to Proceed

Step 5: Now, fill the contact details, personal details, Aadhaar details, exam & centre details, qualification details, and additional details.

Step 6: Upload the necessary documents in the prescribed format.

Upload the necessary documents

Step 7: After successfully completing the registration form and application form, verify the email ID by clicking on ‘Your Email ID yet to be verified. Click here to verify your email ID’.

Step 8: After verifying the email ID, click on ‘Pay Examination Fee INR 650’ to complete the fee payment for Sainik School admission test.

Note – The application fee for the Sainik School admission test is INR 650, with a reduced fee of INR 500 for SC and ST candidates.

Sainik School Admission - Proceed for payment

Step 9: Make an online payment of application fees by clicking on ‘Proceed for payment’ using a Debit/Credit card or net banking to complete the application process.

Sainik School Admission – Things to be Carried in AISSEE Examination Hall

The applicants can carry the below-mentioned things to the AISSEE examination hall:

  • Admit card (with Self Declaration on it downloaded from NTA website) with passport size photograph and thumb impression affixed on it
  • A valid and original photo ID proof
  • Drinking water in a personal transparent water bottle
  • Transparent ballpoint pen
  • Passport-size photograph for affixing on the attendance sheet
  • Facemask and gloves (if required)
  • Hand sanitiser (50ml bottle)
                  Information Bulletin of Sainik School admission test (In Hindi)

Sainik School Admission – How to Prepare for Sainik School Admission Test?

Here are some tips that may help the candidates to qualify for the Sainik School admission test: 

  • Understand the Syllabus: Familiarize with the AISSEE syllabus provided by the Sainik School or the examining authority. Get thorough information about the subjects, topics, and weightage of each section.
  • Create a Study Schedule: Develop a study schedule that allocates sufficient time for each subject. Divide the study sessions into smaller, manageable periods to enhance concentration and retention.
  • Study Material and Resources: Gather relevant study materials, textbooks, reference books, and previous years’ question papers. Utilize online resources, practice tests, and mock exams to assess the preparation level.
  • Practice Previous Years’ Papers: Solve previous years’ question papers to understand the exam pattern, types of questions, and time management. It will help to identify areas that require more attention.
  • Time Management: Practice time management while attempting sample papers or mock tests. Build speed and accuracy to complete the exam within a fixed time frame.
  • Seek Guidance and Coaching: Consider joining coaching classes or online courses specifically designed for AISSEE preparation for personalised guidance.
  • Revision and Mock Tests: Regularly revise the studied topics to reinforce the understanding. Take mock tests or simulate exam conditions to improve performance and boost confidence.
  • Analyze Weak Areas: Identify the weaker subjects or topics and dedicate additional time to improve them. Seek help from teachers, mentors, or online forums to clarify doubts and strengthen understanding.
  • Stay Positive and Confident: Maintain a positive mindset throughout the preparation period. Approach the exam with confidence, calmness, and a positive attitude.

List of Textbooks for Sainik School Admission Test

Students can refer to the listed below textbooks for preparation for AISSEE:

Sainik School Admission – FAQs

What is the Sainik School admission test?

The Sainik School admission test or All India Sainik School Entrance Examination (AISSEE) is an entrance examination conducted for admission to Sainik Schools in India.

Who conducts the Sainik School admission test?

The Sainik School admission test is conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA).

How can I apply for the Sainik School?

The application process for the Sainik School admission includes online registration, submission of documents, and payment of exam fees. For detailed information on the application process, refer to the above article.

What happens if a student is found ineligible after receiving the admit card?

The National Testing Agency (NTA) reserves the right to withdraw permission from any student who is found ineligible to appear in the AISSEE, even if the admit card has been issued.

Are there any reservations or special categories for admissions in Sainik Schools?

Yes, reservations and special categories for the Sainik School admission test include wards of serving and ex-service defence personnel, SC/ST/OBC-NCL candidates, and candidates from the home state/UT, which may be applicable.

What happens if the reserved categories are not available within the home state/UT?

In such cases, the seats will be allotted among the available categories within the home state/UT to ensure that 67% of seats remain reserved for the home state/UT.

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