RMS & Sainik School Admission 2025–26: Everything Parents Must Know

RMS (Rashtriya Military School) Admissions

RMS has five schools across India. Admission is through the CET – Combined Entrance Test.

Who Can Apply?
Class 5 passed students for Class 6 admission.
Class 8 passed students for Class 9 admission.
Age Criteria:
For Class 6: 10–12 years (as on 31 March 2026).
For Class 9: 13–15 years (as on 31 March 2026).
Special Case:
KIA (Killed in Action) category gets 6 months extra in upper age limit + zero fees + reserved seats.

Reservation & Fees

Here’s the big difference.

70% seats are for JCOs and OR (Army, Navy, Air Force).
Remaining 30% seats are for officers and civilians.
No domicile needed — All India seats!

Fee Structure (Approx):

Civilians: ₹51,000/year
Officers: ₹32,000/year
JCOs/OR: ₹12,000/year
SC/ST pay just 25% of the fee.

Sounds affordable, right? For a defense family, RMS should be the first choice.

RMS Exam Pattern

Total Marks: 200 (but merit counts only 150).
Subjects:
Maths – 50 marks
Reasoning – 50 marks
GK – 50 marks

English is qualifying. You must score 17.5/50 but its marks don’t add to merit.

Safe Scores:

Class 6: 130/150 is a safe target.
Class 9: Aim for 160/200.

There’s also a 20-mark interview after the written exam.

Key Documents

Before filling the form, keep ready:

Date of Birth certificate
School certificate
Aadhaar card
PPO/Service certificate for defense personnel

No domicile needed for RMS.

Sainik School Admissions

Sainik Schools have 33 old and 40 new schools.

Who Can Apply?
No need to pass Class 5 for old schools, but mandatory for new schools.
Seat Distribution:
67% seats for home state, 33% for other states.
Documents Needed:
DOB certificate, domicile, caste certificate (SC/ST/OBC-NCL), PPO for defense category.

Sainik School Exam Pattern

Class 6 paper: 300 marks

Maths: 150 (50 questions × 3 marks each)
Language (choose from 13 languages!)
GK
Intelligence

Class 9 paper: 400 marks

Maths: 200
Science: 50
Social Studies: 50
Intelligence: 50

Safe score?

250/300 for Class 6
350/400 for Class 9

Important Dates

RMS Forms: Expected mid-September 2025.
Sainik School Forms: End of October or November 2025.
Both forms are online only.

Quick Tips for Parents

Select exam language carefully when filling Sainik School form.
Don’t wait till last date — apply early.
Prepare English basics (for RMS) so your child clears the qualifying marks.
Target scores mentioned above to stay safe for merit.

Final Thoughts

Here’s the thing – give your child every chance. Let them attempt RMS, Sainik School, even Navodaya. The more exams, the better the odds of selection.

Keep documents ready, watch for notifications, and stay calm.