Defence School Exam Calendar 2026–27: Every Deadline, One Page

Last verified: 3 October 2026, 2:15 PM. ✅ CONFIRMED = from official notifications as reported by Tier-1/Tier-2 outlets. 🔶 EXPECTED = pattern-based, not officially announced.

Why this page exists

October is the busiest application month of the year for defence-school aspirants — and this year it is unusually crowded. Four separate entrance exams, four separate portals, four separate fee payments, and deadlines that fall within 18 days of each other. Miss one and it does not come back.

So here is every confirmed date in one place, with day-counts from today (3 October 2026). Pin this page. It will save you at least one panic.

The application deadlines (this month)

A few traps worth knowing:

• RIMCEE has no late window after 7 October. The portal moves straight to the correction window (9–11 October). If you miss it, RIMC’s July 2027 term is gone — we covered this in the final RIMCEE reminder.
• RMS CET does have a late window (21–25 October, Rs 500 extra), but the regular window is cheaper and safer — details in our 17-day countdown.
• UP Sainik School is separate from NTA. It is run by the UP Sainik Schools Society on its own portal, upsainikschool.org — do not wait for the NTA to open anything for it.

The exam sequence (December → January)

Three Sunday-style exams across three consecutive weeks in December, then the big one at the end of January. Notice the spacing: a child can realistically appear for all four. The syllabi overlap heavily — Maths, English, General Knowledge and reasoning do the heavy lifting everywhere.

What to do this week (checklist)

1. Today/tomorrow: If RIMC is on your list, finish the RIMCEE late-fee application. 4 days is not a buffer — it is the whole window.
2. This weekend: Start the RMS CET form if eligible (Class 6: 10–13 years as on 31 March 2027; Class 9: 13–16 years). 63 exam cities means you can pick your nearest — but only at registration.
3. By 25 October: Submit the UP Sainik School application (Rs 1,000) if your child is in UP’s orbit.
4. All month: Keep checking the NTA’s AISSEE portal (exams.nta.nic.in/sainik-school-society/) for the 2027 notification. Have the documents ready — birth certificate, domicile, photo, signature — so the form takes minutes, not days.
5. Study plan: With 64 days to RIMCEE and 120 to AISSEE, this is the full-syllabus phase. Mocks should start by November, not January.

Why it matters

December 2026 to January 2027 is the first time four defence-school exams land in such a tight, predictable sequence under NTA-era scheduling. Families that plan the applications together — one document folder, one photo/signature set, one mock-test rhythm — save money, travel, and a great deal of stress. The ones who discover each deadline separately, two days before it closes, pay the late fees.

FAQs

What are all the defence school entrance exam dates for 2026-27? RIMCEE (RIMC Dehradun): 6 December 2026. RMS CET (Rashtriya Military Schools): 13 December 2026. UP Sainik School (Lucknow/Gorakhpur): 20 December 2026. AISSEE 2027 (Sainik Schools): 31 January 2027. All except AISSEE’s notification are confirmed from official notifications.

Which defence school applications are still open in October 2026? RIMCEE late-fee window closes 7 October 2026; RMS CET regular applications close 20 October 2026 (late window 21–25 October); UP Sainik School applications close 25 October 2026. The AISSEE 2027 notification has not been released yet.

Can a child apply to multiple defence school exams in the same year? Yes — the exams are months apart (RIMCEE on 6 December, RMS CET on 13 December, UP Sainik School on 20 December, AISSEE on 31 January 2027), and each has its own application and fee. Preparation for one directly helps the others.

Is the AISSEE 2027 notification released yet? No. As of 3 October 2026, the NTA’s official AISSEE portal is still carrying AISSEE 2026 updates. The notification is expected in October 2026; the exam date (31 January 2027) is confirmed from NTA’s examination calendar.

Sources

• EdexLive — “RIMCEE 2026 Registration Begins: NTA announces December 6 exam date” (2 September 2026): https://www.edexlive.com/exams/rimcee-2026-registration-begins-nta-announces-december-6-exam-date
• Telegraph India — RIMCEE 2026 late-fee window 1–7 October report (30 September 2026)
• NDTV — “RMS CET 2026: Rashtriya Military School Exam on December 13” (24 September 2026): https://www.ndtv.com/education/rms-cet-2026-rashtriya-military-school-exam-on-december-13-registration-open-12090003/amp/1
• Times of India, Education Times — RMS CET 2026 application deadline 20 October (24 September 2026)
• UP Sainik Schools Society notification (10 September 2026) via upsainikschool.org — applications open, exam 20 December 2026
• NTA Examination Calendar 2026–27 — AISSEE 2027 exam date 31 January 2027
• EdexLive — “AISSEE 2027: No dates yet, but the previous three cycles reveal a pattern” (8 September 2026): https://www.edexlive.com/exams/saink-school-exam-aissee-2027-no-dates-yet-but-the-previous-three-cycles-reveal-a-pattern