UP's Five 'Sainik Schools', Two Different Exams: Which Form Should Your Child Fill?

Last verified: 7 October 2026. School-management facts ✅ CONFIRMED from upsainikschool.org (checked today); timeline ✅ from the admission portal. Tracker-sourced rules are attributed — confirm from the official prospectus.

Last week a parent sent us a payment receipt. “I paid the UP Sainik School fee,” he wrote, “so my son is registered for AISSEE too, right?” He wasn’t. He had registered for the Lucknow school’s own exam — a separate process from the NTA’s all-India test. His AISSEE form didn’t exist.

Uttar Pradesh has five schools with “Sainik” in their name, running on two entirely different admission systems. With the state forms open now (deadline 25 October) and AISSEE 2027 still awaited, this is when the confusion costs families.

The Split, In One Table

The Society’s official site confirms it: UP’s two schools are run by the UP Sainik Schools Society, chaired by the Chief Minister and fully state-financed, with the single aim of preparing cadets for the NDA. The three MoD schools fill seats through the NTA’s all-India exam, like every other Sainik School in the country.

The practical rule: the UP form covers Lucknow and Gorakhpur only. AISSEE covers Mainpuri, Jhansi, Amethi — and everything else. Two forms, two fees, two exams, two dates.

Three Differences Parents Miss

1. The domicile wall. Per the admission tracker, the state exam needs UP domicile of the candidate and the father — a child living in UP on an out-of-state domicile doesn’t qualify. AISSEE has no such wall. If your family moved to UP recently, check this first.

2. The girls’ question. The tracker lists Lucknow’s Class 6 as boys-only (girls in Class 9), while Gorakhpur takes girls in both classes. AISSEE admits girls to Class 6 with a 10% quota. For a daughter in Class 6, Gorakhpur is the state-school option — verify the prospectus first.

3. The dates don’t clash — use that. The state exam is 20 December 2026 (tentative); AISSEE 2027 is expected in January (NTA calendar: 31 January, tentative). Many families apply to both — but they’re different papers: 200 marks (Maths, English, GK, Intelligence) vs AISSEE’s 300.

What To Do This Week

1. Decide which schools you want — state-run (Lucknow/Gorakhpur) or MoD-run (Mainpuri/Jhansi/Amethi) — before filling anything.
2. State exam: file at upsainikschool.org before 25 October, 5 PM — the fee doubles to Rs 2,000 after. Keep both domicile certificates ready.
3. AISSEE: keep documents ready (photo, signature, thumb impression, birth and domicile certificates) — the NTA notification is expected in October and the window is short.
4. Check the confirmation page. A wrong form wastes a fee — and can waste a year.

Sources

• UP Sainik Schools Society — official website: https://upsainikschool.org/
• UP Sainik School Admission 2027-28 tracker — Buddy4Study: https://www.buddy4study.com/article/up-sainik-school-admission
• Our verified timeline from the official admission portal: UP Sainik School 2027: Official Portal Confirms Full Admission Timeline
• The NDA bond every UP Sainik School parent signs: UP Sainik School’s NDA Bond: The Fine Print

FAQs

We filled the UP Sainik School form — do we also need the AISSEE form? Only if you also want Mainpuri, Jhansi or Amethi. The UP form covers Lucknow and Gorakhpur alone; the MoD schools need the separate NTA AISSEE 2027 form.

Can a child from another state apply to UP Sainik School? No. The admission tracker states both the candidate and the father must hold valid UP domicile certificates — stricter than AISSEE, which is open to any state. Confirm from the official prospectus before applying.

Can girls apply for Class 6 at UP Sainik School, Lucknow? Per the tracker, Lucknow takes boys only in Class 6 (girls in Class 9); Gorakhpur accepts girls in both classes. Verify the current prospectus at upsainikschool.org before choosing.

What is the last date for UP Sainik School admission 2027-28? 25 October 2026 (till 5 PM) with the normal Rs 1,000 fee; 31 October 2026 with the Rs 2,000 late fee. The entrance exam is scheduled for 20 December 2026, marked tentative by the school.