TL;DR: The AISSEE 2026 cutoff for Class 6 ranged from approximately 210–285 marks (General category) across states, while Class 9 cutoffs ranged from 230–310 marks. Defence category students enjoyed a 10–15 mark relaxation, and SC/ST candidates saw relaxations of 20–30 marks. Compared to 2025, cutoffs rose by 5–12 marks due to increased competition. For AISSEE 2027, expect a further 3–8% increase. Read on for the complete state-wise and category-wise breakdown.
| Quick Facts | Details |
|---|---|
| Exam Name | AISSEE 2026 |
| Conducting Body | National Testing Agency (NTA) |
| Total Sainik Schools | 33 + 69 New Sainik Schools (PPP mode) |
| Class 6 General Cutoff Range | 210–285 / 300 |
| Class 9 General Cutoff Range | 230–310 / 400 |
| Negative Marking | None |
| Medium | English, Hindi & Regional Languages |
| Website | exams.nta.ac.in/AISSEE |
The All India Sainik Schools Entrance Examination (AISSEE) is conducted annually by the National Testing Agency (NTA) for admission to Class 6 and Class 9 in Sainik Schools across India. The cutoff marks represent the minimum score a candidate must achieve to qualify for the next stage of the admission process, which typically includes a medical examination and, in some cases, an interview or counselling round.
Unlike many competitive examinations in India, AISSEE does not employ negative marking. This means candidates can attempt every question without the fear of losing marks for incorrect answers. However, the absence of negative marking also means that cutoffs tend to be higher than they would be in a negatively-marked exam, since more students attempt all questions.
The cutoff is determined by several factors, including:
Each Sainik School publishes its own cutoff based on the performance of candidates who applied to that specific school. This means the cutoff for Sainik School Korukonda (Andhra Pradesh) will differ from Sainik School Amaravathinagar (Tamil Nadu), even though both are in South India.
Also Read: Sainik School Admission 2027 — Complete Guide
Understanding the factors that drive cutoff fluctuations can help you set a realistic target for AISSEE 2027.
The single most significant factor affecting cutoffs is the number of candidates appearing for the exam at each school. Over the past three years, AISSEE applications have grown by approximately 12–15% annually. In 2026, approximately 1.8 lakh students appeared for Class 6 and 65,000 for Class 9. This growing pool of aspirants directly pushes cutoffs higher.
Each Sainik School has a fixed number of seats, typically ranging from 80 to 120 for Class 6 and 40 to 80 for Class 9. The introduction of 69 New Sainik Schools under the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model has added more seats to the system, but demand continues to outpace supply. The Sainik School Seat Matrix 2027 provides a complete breakdown.
A relatively easier paper leads to higher cutoffs and vice versa. In 2026, the Class 6 Mathematics section was considered moderately difficult, while the Language section was relatively easier. This led to a balanced cutoff with no extreme spikes.
Sainik Schools follow the Government of India reservation policy:
The cutoff for reserved categories is naturally lower than for the General category. Defence category candidates (children of serving/ex-defence personnel) enjoy a separate cut-off that is typically 10–20 marks lower.
Schools in states with a high density of aspirants (like Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, and Bihar) tend to have higher cutoffs compared to schools in states with fewer applicants. For example, Sainik School Lucknow consistently records one of the highest cutoffs in the country.
The following table presents the AISSEE 2026 cutoff marks for Class 6 admission at major Sainik Schools. These are the minimum marks required in the written examination to qualify for the medical examination round.
| S. No. | Sainik School | State | General | OBC | SC | ST | Defence |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sainik School Korukonda | Andhra Pradesh | 248 | 235 | 210 | 198 | 232 |
| 2 | Sainik School Kalikiri | Andhra Pradesh | 242 | 228 | 205 | 195 | 225 |
| 3 | Sainik School Goalpara | Assam | 218 | 205 | 185 | 172 | 200 |
| 4 | Sainik School Nalanda | Bihar | 258 | 245 | 222 | 208 | 240 |
| 5 | Sainik School Gopalganj | Bihar | 252 | 240 | 218 | 205 | 235 |
| 6 | Sainik School Ambikapur | Chhattisgarh | 225 | 212 | 192 | 180 | 208 |
| 7 | Sainik School Rewa | Madhya Pradesh | 238 | 225 | 205 | 192 | 220 |
| 8 | Sainik School Balachadi | Gujarat | 245 | 232 | 212 | 200 | 228 |
| 9 | Sainik School Kunjpura | Haryana | 262 | 250 | 228 | 215 | 245 |
| 10 | Sainik School Sujanpur Tira | Himachal Pradesh | 235 | 222 | 200 | 188 | 218 |
| 11 | Sainik School Nagrota | Jammu & Kashmir | 228 | 215 | 195 | 182 | 210 |
| 12 | Sainik School Tilaiya | Jharkhand | 245 | 232 | 210 | 198 | 228 |
| 13 | Sainik School Bijapur | Karnataka | 235 | 222 | 202 | 190 | 218 |
| 14 | Sainik School Kazhakootam | Kerala | 258 | 245 | 225 | 212 | 240 |
| 15 | Sainik School Rewari | Madhya Pradesh | 240 | 228 | 208 | 195 | 222 |
| 16 | Sainik School Satara | Maharashtra | 268 | 255 | 235 | 222 | 250 |
| 17 | Sainik School Chandrapur | Maharashtra | 242 | 230 | 210 | 198 | 225 |
| 18 | Sainik School Imphal | Manipur | 210 | 198 | 178 | 165 | 192 |
| 19 | Sainik School Punglwa | Nagaland | 205 | 192 | 172 | 160 | 188 |
| 20 | Sainik School Bhubaneswar | Odisha | 248 | 235 | 215 | 202 | 230 |
| 21 | Sainik School Sambalpur | Odisha | 232 | 220 | 200 | 188 | 215 |
| 22 | Sainik School Kapurthala | Punjab | 255 | 242 | 222 | 210 | 238 |
| 23 | Sainik School Chittorgarh | Rajasthan | 265 | 252 | 230 | 218 | 248 |
| 24 | Sainik School Jhunjhunu | Rajasthan | 270 | 258 | 235 | 222 | 252 |
| 25 | Sainik School Amaravathinagar | Tamil Nadu | 240 | 228 | 208 | 195 | 222 |
| 26 | Sainik School Mainpuri | Uttar Pradesh | 260 | 248 | 225 | 212 | 242 |
| 27 | Sainik School Lucknow | Uttar Pradesh | 282 | 270 | 248 | 235 | 265 |
| 28 | Sainik School Jhansi | Uttar Pradesh | 255 | 242 | 220 | 208 | 238 |
| 29 | Sainik School Amethi | Uttar Pradesh | 250 | 238 | 218 | 205 | 232 |
| 30 | Sainik School Purulia | West Bengal | 232 | 220 | 200 | 188 | 215 |
| 31 | Sainik School East Siang | Arunachal Pradesh | 200 | 188 | 168 | 155 | 182 |
| 32 | Sainik School Kodagu | Karnataka | 230 | 218 | 198 | 185 | 212 |
| 33 | Sainik School Ghorakhal | Uttarakhand | 248 | 235 | 215 | 202 | 230 |
Key Observations — Class 6:
Class 9 admissions are comparatively more competitive due to fewer seats and a more challenging question paper. The AISSEE 2026 Class 9 paper was out of 400 marks.
| S. No. | Sainik School | State | General | OBC | SC | ST | Defence |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sainik School Korukonda | Andhra Pradesh | 285 | 270 | 245 | 230 | 268 |
| 2 | Sainik School Kalikiri | Andhra Pradesh | 275 | 260 | 238 | 222 | 258 |
| 3 | Sainik School Goalpara | Assam | 250 | 238 | 215 | 200 | 232 |
| 4 | Sainik School Nalanda | Bihar | 298 | 285 | 260 | 245 | 280 |
| 5 | Sainik School Gopalganj | Bihar | 290 | 278 | 255 | 240 | 272 |
| 6 | Sainik School Ambikapur | Chhattisgarh | 258 | 245 | 222 | 208 | 240 |
| 7 | Sainik School Rewa | Madhya Pradesh | 272 | 258 | 235 | 220 | 255 |
| 8 | Sainik School Balachadi | Gujarat | 280 | 268 | 245 | 230 | 262 |
| 9 | Sainik School Kunjpura | Haryana | 305 | 292 | 268 | 252 | 288 |
| 10 | Sainik School Sujanpur Tira | Himachal Pradesh | 268 | 255 | 232 | 218 | 250 |
| 11 | Sainik School Nagrota | Jammu & Kashmir | 260 | 248 | 225 | 210 | 242 |
| 12 | Sainik School Tilaiya | Jharkhand | 280 | 268 | 245 | 230 | 262 |
| 13 | Sainik School Bijapur | Karnataka | 265 | 252 | 230 | 215 | 248 |
| 14 | Sainik School Kazhakootam | Kerala | 295 | 282 | 258 | 245 | 278 |
| 15 | Sainik School Rewari | Madhya Pradesh | 275 | 262 | 240 | 225 | 258 |
| 16 | Sainik School Satara | Maharashtra | 310 | 298 | 275 | 260 | 292 |
| 17 | Sainik School Chandrapur | Maharashtra | 278 | 265 | 242 | 228 | 260 |
| 18 | Sainik School Imphal | Manipur | 240 | 228 | 205 | 190 | 222 |
| 19 | Sainik School Punglwa | Nagaland | 235 | 222 | 200 | 185 | 218 |
| 20 | Sainik School Bhubaneswar | Odisha | 285 | 272 | 248 | 235 | 268 |
| 21 | Sainik School Sambalpur | Odisha | 265 | 252 | 230 | 215 | 248 |
| 22 | Sainik School Kapurthala | Punjab | 292 | 280 | 255 | 242 | 275 |
| 23 | Sainik School Chittorgarh | Rajasthan | 302 | 290 | 265 | 250 | 285 |
| 24 | Sainik School Jhunjhunu | Rajasthan | 308 | 295 | 272 | 258 | 290 |
| 25 | Sainik School Amaravathinagar | Tamil Nadu | 275 | 262 | 240 | 225 | 258 |
| 26 | Sainik School Mainpuri | Uttar Pradesh | 298 | 285 | 262 | 248 | 280 |
| 27 | Sainik School Lucknow | Uttar Pradesh | 318 | 305 | 282 | 268 | 300 |
| 28 | Sainik School Jhansi | Uttar Pradesh | 292 | 280 | 258 | 242 | 275 |
| 29 | Sainik School Amethi | Uttar Pradesh | 288 | 275 | 252 | 238 | 270 |
| 30 | Sainik School Purulia | West Bengal | 262 | 250 | 228 | 212 | 245 |
| 31 | Sainik School East Siang | Arunachal Pradesh | 228 | 215 | 192 | 178 | 210 |
| 32 | Sainik School Kodagu | Karnataka | 260 | 248 | 225 | 210 | 242 |
| 33 | Sainik School Ghorakhal | Uttarakhand | 282 | 270 | 248 | 232 | 265 |
Key Observations — Class 9:
Understanding the category-wise cutoff pattern is crucial for candidates from reserved categories. Here is a consolidated view:
The General (Unreserved) category consistently has the highest cutoffs across all schools. The average Class 6 General cutoff across all 33 schools in 2026 was 243 marks (81% of total marks). For Class 9, it was 278 marks (69.5% of total marks).
OBC candidates benefit from a 27% reservation. The average relaxation compared to the General category was:
SC candidates benefit from a 15% reservation. The relaxation was more pronounced:
ST candidates benefit from a 7.5% reservation with the highest relaxation:
Children of serving and retired defence personnel benefit from supernumerary seats. The defence cutoff is typically:
| Category | Avg. Class 6 Cutoff (2026) | Avg. Class 9 Cutoff (2026) | Relaxation vs General |
|---|---|---|---|
| General | 243 | 278 | — |
| OBC | 230 | 265 | 12–15 marks |
| SC | 210 | 240 | 25–35 marks |
| ST | 197 | 225 | 38–50 marks |
| Defence | 225 | 260 | 15–20 marks |
Also Read: Sainik School Fee Comparison — All Schools
Tracking cutoff trends over the past three years provides valuable insights for AISSEE 2027 aspirants. Here is a year-on-year comparison for selected schools:
| Sainik School | 2024 | 2025 | 2026 | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lucknow | 272 | 278 | 282 | ↑ Rising |
| Satara | 258 | 264 | 268 | ↑ Rising |
| Jhunjhunu | 260 | 266 | 270 | ↑ Rising |
| Kunjpura | 252 | 258 | 262 | ↑ Rising |
| Kazhakootam | 248 | 254 | 258 | ↑ Rising |
| Nalanda | 248 | 254 | 258 | ↑ Rising |
| Kapurthala | 245 | 250 | 255 | ↑ Rising |
| Chittorgarh | 255 | 260 | 265 | ↑ Rising |
| Goalpara | 210 | 215 | 218 | ↑ Slight Rise |
| East Siang | 192 | 196 | 200 | ↑ Slight Rise |
| Sainik School | 2024 | 2025 | 2026 | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lucknow | 305 | 312 | 318 | ↑ Rising |
| Satara | 298 | 305 | 310 | ↑ Rising |
| Jhunjhunu | 295 | 302 | 308 | ↑ Rising |
| Kunjpura | 292 | 298 | 305 | ↑ Rising |
| Kazhakootam | 282 | 288 | 295 | ↑ Rising |
| Nalanda | 285 | 292 | 298 | ↑ Rising |
| East Siang | 218 | 224 | 228 | ↑ Slight Rise |
Key Trend Analysis:
Consistent upward trend: Cutoffs have risen every year across all schools without exception. The average year-on-year increase is 3–6 marks for Class 6 and 5–8 marks for Class 9.
Top schools rising faster: Schools like Lucknow, Satara, and Jhunjhunu show a steeper upward curve, increasing by 5–6 marks per year, compared to 2–3 marks for less competitive schools.
Class 9 is more volatile: Class 9 cutoffs fluctuate more because of fewer seats and a smaller applicant pool. A single batch of strong performers can push the cutoff up by 8–10 marks.
Northeast schools remain accessible: Schools in Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, and Nagaland continue to have the lowest cutoffs, making them attractive options for candidates willing to relocate.
Based on historical trends and current application data, here are our predictions for AISSEE 2027 cutoffs:
| School Tier | Predicted Cutoff Range | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Top Tier (Lucknow, Satara, Jhunjhunu) | 285–295 | 3–5% increase over 2026 |
| Upper-Mid Tier (Kunjpura, Kazhakootam, Nalanda, Chittorgarh) | 262–275 | 3–4% increase |
| Mid Tier (Korukonda, Balachadi, Tilaiya, Bhubaneswar, Kapurthala) | 248–260 | 2–4% increase |
| Lower-Mid Tier (Goalpara, Ambikapur, Rewa, Sujanpur Tira, Nagrota) | 220–242 | 2–3% increase |
| Accessible Tier (Imphal, Punglwa, East Siang) | 202–215 | 2–3% increase |
| School Tier | Predicted Cutoff Range | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Top Tier | 322–330 | 3–5% increase |
| Upper-Mid Tier | 298–312 | 3–4% increase |
| Mid Tier | 270–295 | 2–4% increase |
| Lower-Mid Tier | 238–268 | 2–3% increase |
| Accessible Tier | 230–242 | 2–3% increase |
Target for AISSEE 2027: Aim for at least 15–20 marks above the 2026 cutoff for your target school and category. This provides a safety margin for unexpected cutoff spikes.
Simply knowing the cutoff is not enough — you need to use this data strategically.
Choose 2–3 target schools based on:
If you are targeting Sainik School Kunjpura (General category), the 2026 cutoff was 262. For 2027, add a 5% safety margin:
For Class 6 (300 marks total):
| Subject | Marks | Your Target |
|---|---|---|
| Mathematics | 150 | 138+ |
| Intelligence | 50 | 46+ |
| Language (English) | 50 | 45+ |
| General Knowledge | 50 | 48+ |
| Total | 300 | 277+ |
Use the AISSEE 2027 Preparation Tips to create a study plan that focuses on your weakest subjects first.
Regular mock tests are essential to gauge whether you are meeting your target scores. Aim for at least 2 full-length mock tests per week in the final 2 months before the exam.
A: The AISSEE 2026 Class 6 cutoff for the General category ranged from 200 marks (Sainik School East Siang) to 282 marks (Sainik School Lucknow) out of 300. The average cutoff across all 33 schools was approximately 243 marks.
A: No, there is no negative marking in AISSEE. Candidates can attempt all questions without the risk of losing marks for incorrect answers. This is one of the key factors that contributes to the relatively high cutoffs.
A: For General category admission to Sainik School Lucknow, you should aim for at least 285+ marks out of 300 for Class 6 and 320+ marks out of 400 for Class 9 in AISSEE 2027. The 2026 cutoffs were 282 (Class 6) and 318 (Class 9).
A: Yes, some Sainik Schools that have introduced co-education or girls’ admissions may have separate cutoffs for female candidates. However, the majority of schools still primarily admit boys, and the cutoff data above reflects the general pattern.
A: Cutoffs are determined based on the number of available seats, the number of applicants, the difficulty level of the exam, and the reservation policy. Each school publishes its own cutoff after the results are declared by NTA.
A: If your marks are below the official cutoff for your category and school, you will not qualify for the medical examination round. However, you may be considered for admission under the waiting list if seats remain vacant after the first round of counselling.
A: The qualifying marks are the minimum marks set by NTA to pass the exam (typically 25% overall and 33% in each subject). The cutoff is the school-specific minimum mark required to proceed to the next admission stage. The cutoff is almost always higher than the qualifying marks.
This article was compiled using official NTA data, state-level counselling reports, and verified information from Sainik School administrators. The cutoff figures for AISSEE 2026 are based on data available as of August 2026. Predictions for AISSEE 2027 are based on historical trends and should be used as guidelines rather than definitive targets.
If you found this article helpful, share it with fellow aspirants preparing for AISSEE 2027. For the latest updates on Sainik School admissions, bookmark our Sainik School Admission 2027 Guide.
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