Sainik School Admissions 2026: Govt Adds 3 New Institutions, Registration Ends On October 30

The National Testing Agency (NTA) has broadened the network of Sainik Schools in India by increasing the number of institutions that will take part in the All India Sainik Schools Entrance Examination (AISSEE) 2026. With this addition, students seeking admission to Class 6 and Class 9 have increased options for intake into these high-end military-preparatory institutions.

Registration Open Till October 30

The applicants can apply for AISSEE 2026 on the official portal at exams.nta.nic.in until October 30, 2025, and the window for fee payment is until October 31. The correction period for the application will be between November 2 and 4, and the entrance examination will be conducted in January 2026.

Three New Institutions are Added to the Sainik School Network

The schools to be added are:

-Sri SPK Public Senior Secondary School, Namakkal, Tamil Nadu (Residential)

-Vadem Nagar Higher Secondary School, Vasco, Goa (Residential)

-Yogeshwari Sainik School, Ambajogai, Beed, Maharashtra (Day Boarding)

These schools have been formally integrated into the list of approved Sainik Schools notified in the AISSEE 2026 information brochure, opening more opportunities for students from the southern and western parts of India.

Admission Routes and Exam Structure

Admissions to the New Sainik Schools (NSS) will be through two routes:

-40% Route (Category A): Seats filled on the basis of the All India AISSEE 2026 merit list.

-60% Route (Category B): For students already studying in approved NSSs, filled through a school-wise merit list.

The AISSEE 2026 test will be held for 300 marks for Class 6 (150 minutes) and 400 marks for Class 9 (180 minutes). The paper will assess language, mathematics, intelligence, and general knowledge. Students need to achieve a minimum of 25% in every section and 40% aggregate to get selected.

Preparing Students for Defence Academies

AISSEE is an opening to admission into English-medium, CBSE-conducted residential schools that prepare cadets to join the National Defence Academy (NDA), Indian Naval Academy (INA), and similar defence training centers. While there are already 33 operational Sainik Schools across the country, and with these three more, the chain keeps growing under the government's move to open up military education to a larger population.