Last verified: 12 November 2026. The no-negative-marking rule, the paper patterns (Class 6: 150 minutes, 125 questions, 300 marks; Class 9: 180 minutes, 150 questions, 400 marks), the qualifying marks, the tie-breaking order and the no-re-evaluation rule are ✅ CONFIRMED from the official AISSEE 2027 Information Bulletin published by NTA on 3 November 2026, as reproduced by Maru Gujarat and corroborated by Education Times and Disha Stars. The exam date is 31 January 2027, starting at 2:00 PM for both classes. The attempt strategy, timings and drills in this article are our own preparation method — advice, not official instructions.
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Here is the sentence every AISSEE parent should read twice: there is no negative marking in AISSEE 2027. The Information Bulletin says it plainly, for both papers — a wrong answer costs exactly the same as a blank one. Zero.
Most parents hear that and stop there. “Attempt everything” becomes the whole strategy. And honestly, that is where children start losing marks they should never have lost. Because no negative marking does not mean guessing is free. It means guessing is free at the end. The order you attempt questions in, the time you give each section, and the care you take with the OMR sheet still decide the result — and the bulletin has a few more rules that make that very clear.
Last year, a parent called us in a panic because her son had finished his mock paper with 20 minutes to spare and spent them re-checking questions he had already answered — while twelve questions at the end sat blank. In a paper with negative marking, that caution would be wisdom. In AISSEE, it was twelve free chances thrown away. This article is about not making that mistake, in either direction.
Think of it as arithmetic, not courage. In the Class 6 paper there are 125 questions. If your child knows 90 of them and guesses the other 35 at random, roughly a quarter of those guesses — eight or nine questions — will land. That is 16 to 18 marks in Class 6, more in Class 9 where Maths questions carry 4 marks each. Those are marks no amount of extra revision in the last week can reliably buy.
But — and this is the part the coaching posters leave out — a guess made in the first ten minutes costs the same time as a question your child actually knows. A child who guesses wildly from question one arrives at the Maths section, the section worth half the paper, with the clock already half gone. The rule is simple: know first, guess last.
This is the method to practise in every mock from now until 31 January, until it feels automatic.
| Pass | What to do | Class 6 (150 min) | Class 9 (180 min) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pass 1 — the sure marks | Answer every question you know immediately. Skip anything that needs more than a few seconds of thought. Mark it and move on. | ~90 minutes | ~105 minutes |
| Pass 2 — the maybes | Return to the skipped questions. Work the ones you can half-solve. Eliminate one wrong option where you can — it doubles your odds. | ~35 minutes | ~45 minutes |
| Pass 3 — the guesses | With the clock running down, fill in every remaining answer. Never leave a bubble blank. | Last 10–15 minutes | Last 15–20 minutes |
| Buffer | OMR bubbling check: question number against bubble number, no double-marking, no skipped row. | ~10 minutes | ~10 minutes |
Two things in that table deserve emphasis. First, the buffer is not optional. An OMR sheet has no undo button, and the bulletin is blunt: there is no re-checking or re-evaluation of answer sheets. A bubble in the wrong row is a mark lost forever, and it happens to careful children too — usually when they are rushing in the last five minutes. Practise bubbling on a real OMR sheet at home, not just circling answers in a book.
Second, notice where the time goes. Maths carries 150 of 300 marks in Class 6 and 200 of 400 in Class 9 — half the paper in both. And Maths is also the first tie-breaker: if two children finish level, the bulletin breaks the tie on Mathematics first, then Intelligence, then Language or English, then the remaining subjects, and only then on age. A child who is strong in Maths wins twice — once on marks, once on ties. That is where the extra hour of revision belongs.
1. Leaving questions blank. The only unforgivable error in this paper. A blank is a guaranteed zero; a guess is a one-in-four chance. In the last ten minutes, fill everything.
2. Guessing before earning. Starting with the hard questions feels brave and costs marks. The questions you know are worth exactly the same as the questions you don’t — collect the sure ones first.
3. Ignoring the sectional qualifying marks. No negative marking does not mean the paper is one big pool. General, OBC-NCL and Defence-category candidates need 25% in each subject and 40% overall in the 33 existing Sainik Schools. A child who aces Maths and collapses in General Knowledge can still fall short. Spread the revision — every section has a floor.
4. Treating New Sainik Schools like the old ones. In the approved New Sainik Schools, the 25% and 40% rule applies to all categories, including SC/ST. The SC/ST exemption from minimum marks applies only in the 33 existing schools. If your child is applying to a New Sainik School, the floor applies to them whatever their category.
5. Bubbling in a rush. The exam starts at 2:00 PM — Class 6 ends at 4:30, Class 9 at 5:00 — and the last half hour is when tired children make bubbling errors. Build the habit now: bubble in small batches of ten questions during mocks, and check the question number against the bubble number each time.
You do not need a new study plan — you need the one you have, run at exam time. Our 11-week Maths speed plan covers the section that decides the paper; pair it with this weekly rhythm for the attempt itself.
And one more honest note. The bulletin also lists what cannot go into the hall — pens are provided by NTA, watches, wallets and belts are barred, and there is nowhere to keep belongings. Tell your child now, so exam morning has no surprises.
No negative marking is a gift. Use it the way it is meant to be used: answer what you know, work what you half-know, guess the rest — and never, ever leave a question blank. For the full schedule and the form details, read our AISSEE 2027 notification guide, our exam timings explainer and the bulletin details parents miss.
Is there negative marking in AISSEE 2027?
No. The official AISSEE 2027 Information Bulletin states there is no negative marking for wrong responses, in both the Class 6 and Class 9 papers. A wrong answer and a blank answer both score zero.
Should my child attempt every question in AISSEE 2027?
Yes, every question should be attempted before time runs out, because there is no penalty for a wrong answer. But attempt the questions you know first and guess only at the end — blind guessing from the start wastes the time your strong sections need.
What happens if two children score the same marks in AISSEE 2027?
Ties are broken subject by subject. For Class 6 the order is Mathematics, Intelligence, Language, then General Knowledge, then the younger candidate. For Class 9 it is Mathematics, Intelligence, English, General Science, Social Science, then lower age.
What is the qualifying score for AISSEE 2027?
For the 33 existing Sainik Schools, General, OBC-NCL and Defence-category candidates need 25 percent in each subject and 40 percent in aggregate, while SC/ST candidates are exempt from the minimum marks. In approved New Sainik Schools the 25 percent and 40 percent rule applies to all categories, including SC/ST.
Can the AISSEE answer sheet be re-checked?
No. The Information Bulletin states there is no provision for re-checking or re-evaluation of answer sheets, so the OMR sheet your child submits on 31 January 2027 is final.
How much time does a Class 6 student get per question in AISSEE 2027?
The Class 6 paper is 150 minutes for 125 questions, which averages about 72 seconds per question. In practice Maths needs more — roughly 80 to 90 minutes for its 50 questions — while Language, Intelligence and General Knowledge move faster.
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