Last verified: 2 October 2026. The counselling rules below are CONFIRMED from the official AISSAC SOP (Sainik Schools Society) and the AISSAC FAQ published by a Sainik School. The AISSEE 2027 counselling SOP will be released after the 2027 result — re-check the options and round count then, because details can shift year to year.
This is one of the most-asked questions after every counselling round, and the short answer has two halves: yes, you can move to a different school during AISSAC counselling — but once counselling ends and admission is complete, the door closes. Understanding exactly which lever to pull, and when, is the difference between a smart upgrade and losing your only seat.
Every AISSAC counselling round ends with a seat allotment on the portal — and then a choice. The official SOP gives you exactly three options. There is no fourth.
| Option | What it does | Your current seat | Your choices | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Accept | You take the allotted school and complete admission (medical + physical verification) within the deadline | Kept — becomes your confirmed seat | Locked as filled | Parents happy with the allotted school |
| Reconsider | You give up this seat and compete in the next round for your other preferred schools | Cancelled automatically — gone forever, no claim on it | Locked — cannot be changed | Parents who strongly prefer another school and can risk the current one |
| Hold & Continue | You take admission in the allotted school AND stay in later rounds for schools higher in your priority list | Kept while you compete; if upgraded, records and fees shift to the new school | Locked as filled | Parents who want safety and a shot at a better school |
(CONFIRMED — AISSAC SOP §§38–39, Sainik Schools Society.)
Before you click anything, read these — they are the rules parents get burned by:
If your child got, say, your 6th-choice school but your 2nd choice still has seats, Hold & Continue is the mechanism built exactly for you. You must take admission in the allotted school first — reporting, medical, document verification, fee payment. Then you figure in the merit for subsequent rounds, but only for schools higher in priority than the one you’re in. If a higher-choice school gets allotted, your records, documents, and fees shift to the new school — and once shifted, the old seat can’t be retained. In other words: you never risk being seat-less, which is what makes it strictly safer than Reconsider. (CONFIRMED — AISSAC SOP §38(c).)
The trade-off: you pay the first school’s admission fee now, and the records shift later. For most families, that’s a small price for insurance.
Once all online rounds (and the spot round) are over and you’ve completed admission at a school, the AISSAC machinery is done with you — there is no inter-school transfer window, no migration form, no “upgrade” after the session begins. A Sainik School admission is to that school, full stop.
So if someone tells you they “changed schools” after counselling, one of two things happened: they used Reconsider or Hold & Continue inside the rounds — or they appeared in the next year’s AISSEE and took admission afresh. The second route is real but costly: a full year, a fresh exam, and the age window still has to fit (10–12 for Class 6, 13–15 for Class 9). It is a genuine option for a Class 5 student who lands somewhere unhappy — it is not an option for a child at the top of the age band. Our post-result guide maps the full journey from result to final admission so you can see where these decisions sit.
Can I change my allotted Sainik School after accepting the seat? No. Once you Accept and complete admission at the allotted school, the counselling change mechanisms end. The SOP provides no transfer window between schools after admission.
What is the Reconsider option in AISSAC counselling? It lets you reject the allotted seat and compete in the next round for your other preferred schools. Your current seat is automatically cancelled with no further claim, you can’t be considered for that school again, and your locked choices can’t change.
What is Hold & Continue in AISSAC counselling? You take admission in the allotted school while staying in later rounds for schools higher in your priority list. If upgraded, your records and fees shift to the new school. It’s the safest upgrade path — you never risk being seat-less.
Can I change my school choices during AISSAC counselling? No. Choices and priority order, once filled and locked, are final for all rounds and cannot be changed at any stage.
What if I do nothing after a seat is allotted in a round? The seat isn’t secured, and per the Sainik Schools Society’s public notice, you’ll only be considered in the spot counselling round. Never let a round expire silently.
After counselling ends, is there any way to move to another Sainik School? No transfer mechanism exists once admission is complete. The practical route to a different school is re-appearing in the AISSEE the following year, if your child still meets the age criteria.
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