Sainik School Cutoff Marks 2026 – AISSEE Class 6 & 9 Explained

Sainik School Cutoff Marks 2026 — What You Should Know

Every year, students take the AISSEE (All India Sainik Schools Entrance Exam) to try and get admission into Sainik Schools in Class VI or Class IX. After the exam, the board releases cutoff marks: the minimum marks required (in general or per category) for students to be considered for admission. Also, there are passing marks or qualifying marks, which are the basic scores you need just to pass the exam stage. And then reservation rules also affect how seats are filled.

In this post, I’ll explain the cutoff marks for 2026 (based on past trends), the passing marks, and how reservation interacts with cutoffs. I’ll keep it simple so everyone can follow.

How Cutoff Marks Work

• Cutoff means the minimum score a candidate must get to move ahead (to counselling or seat allotment) in a particular school, quota, or category.
• Cutoffs vary by school, state quota (home / other state), category (General / SC / ST / OBC / Defence / Girls).
• Just because you meet the cutoff doesn’t always guarantee a seat — you must also fulfill other criteria and there must be available seats.
• Cutoffs are influenced by number of applicants, difficulty of exam, reservation rules, and performance of students.

So you use cutoff as a benchmark — you aim higher than that.

Passing / Qualifying Marks (Minimum Requirements)

Before cutoffs are applied, a student must satisfy basic qualifying marks. If a candidate fails to meet these, they are not considered at all.

Here are the common rules (based on recent years):

• For both Class 6 and Class 9, a student must secure 25% marks in each subject (section) in the AISSEE exam.
• In addition, they must get 40% aggregate (overall) marks to qualify.
• For example, Class 6 exam has a total of 300 marks. So 40% of 300 is 120 marks. That means you need at least 120 marks total, and also 25% in each subject.
• For Class 9, the total is 400 marks, so 40% is 160 marks. That becomes the baseline.

These are not the final cutoff — they are the minimum required to not be disqualified. After this, the cutoff might be higher.

Expected & Past Cutoff Marks (Classes 6 & 9)

Since the 2026 cutoffs are not yet released, we look at past trends and estimates to give an idea of what ranges you might expect.

Class VI (Out of 300 Marks)

• For the General (Unreserved / Open) category, recent trends show cutoffs in many schools around 210-230 marks or even more, depending on competition.
• For OBC / Non-Creamy Layer, the cutoff is somewhat lower — maybe 200-220 marks in many cases.
• For SC / ST categories, the cutoff may go lower, but still is competitive depending on the school and region.
• For Defence / children of ex-servicemen, it may often be closer to general, or slightly lower depending on seats in that quota.

To give you an idea, in recent years, unreserved cutoffs in many Sainik Schools have been close to or above 200–220 marks.

Class IX (Out of 400 Marks)

• Since seats for Class IX are fewer, competition is tougher and cutoffs are higher.
• In past years, general category cutoffs in Class IX have ranged in around 300-350 marks in many schools.
• OBC, SC, ST cutoffs are lower, but again vary a lot by region, school, and number of applicants.
• For example, some schools have had Class IX cutoffs for general candidates in the ballpark of 330–345, depending on demand.

Because of these pressures, just passing (i.e. getting 160 out of 400) may not get you admission unless your score is significantly higher.

Reservation & How It Affects Cutoffs

Reservation has a strong role in deciding cutoffs. Here’s how:

1. Separate cutoffs for each category
   Each category (SC, ST, OBC, Defence, Girls, etc.) will have its own cutoff mark depending on how many seats are allotted in that category. So to get a seat in your category, you must beat the cutoff for that category, not necessarily the General cutoff.
2. Quota for home state vs other state
   Cutoffs differ under home state quota and other state quota. A home state candidate may face a different cutoff than an “other state” candidate in the same category.
3. If reserved seats don’t fill
   If seats under a reserved category remain vacant (for example, no SC candidate qualifies), they might get merged or transferred to other categories, which can raise or lower cutoffs in those categories.
4. Defence / Girls quotas
   These quotas also have their own cutoffs. For example, in Class VI, there is a reservation for girls in many Sainik Schools, so girls’ cutoff might differ. Defence children’s quota cutoffs may also differ, often being slightly more favorable (though still competitive) within their category.

Important Dates to Watch (2026 / Tentative)

Since cutoffs are declared after exam and result, here are the typical schedule moments. Use these to know when to check cutoffs.

As soon as the AISSEE official site (exams.nta.ac.in/AISSEE) publishes the merit list and cutoffs, students can check which schools they are eligible for.

How to Use Cutoff Information to Your Advantage

• Set target marks higher than previous year’s cutoffs. Don’t just aim for passing marks.
• Study past cutoffs school-wise for your preferred Sainik Schools. Some schools have higher cutoffs than others.
• Understand your category’s cutoff (for SC, ST, OBC, defence) — compare with general cutoff but within your category.
• Keep an eye on state quotas — home state and other state cutoffs differ.
• After result, act fast — as cutoffs are published, you may need to do counselling or seat selection quickly.

Sample (Hypothetical) Cutoff Ranges for 2026

Here’s a rough, illustrative idea of what cutoffs might look like based on past years:

* These are just estimates based on previous years’ trends. The real cutoffs might differ.

What Happens After Cutoffs

1. Counselling / Allotment
   After cutoffs, students who have scores above cutoff (in their category) are called for counselling or seat allotment.
2. Document & Medical verification
   Once you are allotted a school, your documents (category certificate, proof, domicile etc.) and medical fitness are checked.
3. Final admission
   If you satisfy all criteria, you get your school and class placement.

If you fail to satisfy category cutoff, you might lose that chance even if you passed the exam.

Final Take

To secure a seat in Sainik School 2026, your aim should not just be passing, but scoring well above the cutoff in your category. Use cutoff trends to plan your study goals. Understand your category’s cutoff, focus on strong preparation, and keep track of official updates from the AISSEE / NTA site (https://exams.nta.ac.in/AISSEE). When the cutoffs are finally declared, you’ll be ready to see where you stand and take prompt next steps.