Last updated: 24 October 2026. Clearing AISSEE is only half the journey. The seat is actually won in counselling: registering on time, choosing schools wisely, passing the medical exam and submitting the right documents. This guide explains the full Sainik School counselling and admission process for Class 6 and Class 9, step by step.
Counselling is conducted online as the All India Sainik Schools Admission Counselling (AISSAC) after NTA declares the AISSEE result. For AISSEE 2026, NTA announced AISSAC 2026 along with the results. Follow the official notices on exams.nta.nic.in/sainik-school-society and the e-counselling portal pesa.ncog.gov.in/sainikschoolecounselling, where the seat matrix and school information are also published.
How Admission Is Decided
A Sainik School seat depends on four things, in this order:
AISSEE marks and meeting the qualifying marks.
Rank in the merit list that applies to the child: school-wise, gender-wise and category-wise, under home state (List A) or other state (List B).
Medical fitness, certified by the school's medical board.
Verification of original documents.
Passing AISSEE does not guarantee a seat. A child with good marks can still miss out by not registering for counselling or by choosing schools carelessly. See qualifying marks and merit lists and reservation and seats.
Counselling Step by Step
Step 1: Register on the e-counselling portal
After the result, qualified candidates sign up on the official e-counselling portal using their AISSEE application number and details. Registration is required even if you are applying to only one school. Read the counselling instructions and schedule published on the portal.
Step 2: Fill school choices
Check the seat matrix: which schools have vacancies for your child's class, gender and category.
List schools in your real order of preference. Include your home-state schools, where your child competes in List A, and a few realistic options elsewhere.
Choosing a school with no seat in your category, or listing too few schools, can mean losing the chance of admission. NTA and the Sainik Schools Society are not responsible for wrong school choices.
Step 3: Seat allotment and provisional admission letter
Seats are allotted in merit order against your choices. If you are allotted a seat, download the provisional admission letter and follow the instructions to accept it within the deadline. There may be more than one round as seats are released.
Step 4: Medical examination
The child must pass a medical examination at the allotted school or by the authority it names, in the format prescribed by the Sainik Schools Society. Admission is confirmed only if the child is declared medically fit.
Step 5: Document verification and reporting
Report to the school with original documents on the given date. After the medical exam, each school publishes a final merit list with a main list and a waiting list.
Documents to Carry to the Allotted Sainik School
Based on recent counselling instructions, keep these originals and copies ready:
Signed checklist and undertaking, in the given format
Provisional admission letter from the counselling portal
AISSEE admit card and score card
Government photo ID with address of the student and parents (Aadhaar preferred)
Medical fitness report in the prescribed format
Birth certificate issued by the competent government authority
Study certificate from the current school (Class 5 for Class 6 admission; Class 8 for Class 9)
Category certificate (SC, ST or OBC-NCL in the central government format), if applicable
Domicile certificate
Service or dependent certificate for defence and ex-servicemen wards, if applicable
Income certificate, if applying for scholarships
Parents in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana should get domicile, caste and income certificates through MeeSeva early. Delays in certificates are a common reason families struggle at the reporting stage.
Waiting List and Vacancies
If your child is on a school's waiting list, they may get a seat when allotted candidates do not join or fail the medical. Recent bulletins also allowed waiting-list candidates of one Sainik School to apply for vacancies in another school, if:
there is a vacancy in the relevant category at that school (and in the state-wise quota for outside-state seats);
the candidate scored more than the last candidate admitted in that category there;
the candidate is medically fit and submits all required documents, including the AISSEE score card.
Unfilled seats then move between categories and lists in a fixed order, explained in our reservation guide.
Admission to Approved New Sainik Schools
40% route (Category A): at least 40% of seats are filled from the All India merit list. Domicile and category quotas do not apply, and candidates can choose any New Sainik School in counselling.
60% route (Category B): up to 60% of seats go to students already studying in that New Sainik School who qualify AISSEE.
New Sainik Schools mainly admit to Class 6, and their counselling usually follows the counselling for existing Sainik Schools.
Joining a New Sainik School does not give any right to transfer to one of the 33 existing Sainik Schools.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Not registering for counselling after qualifying
Listing only one or two popular schools
Choosing schools without seats in your category or gender
Missing the deadline to accept the allotted seat
Reaching the school without original certificates
Paying agents who promise a "management" seat. Admission is only through AISSEE merit and official counselling.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does passing AISSEE guarantee a Sainik School seat?
No. Admission depends on merit rank, school choices in counselling, vacancies in your category, medical fitness and documents.
Where do I register for Sainik School counselling?
On the official e-counselling portal announced by NTA and the Sainik Schools Society after the result, using your AISSEE application number.
Is there a medical test for Sainik School admission?
Yes. The child must be declared medically fit before admission is confirmed.
Can a waiting-list candidate get a seat in another Sainik School?
Recent bulletins allowed it if that school has a vacancy in the category and the candidate scored more than the last admitted candidate there.
Can I move from a New Sainik School to an existing Sainik School later?
No. Admission to a New Sainik School gives no right to transfer.
