
The National Testing Agency (NTA) has officially released the provisional answer key for the All India Sainik School Entrance Examination (AISSEE) 2026. With the exam successfully concluded on January 18, 2026, the release of the answer key marks the most critical phase for the thousands of candidates who appeared for admissions to Class 6 and Class 9 across the nation’s prestigious Sainik Schools.
Candidates who appeared for the pen-paper examination at 464 centers across the country can now access the provisional answer key and their individual OMR response sheets. The documents are available exclusively on the official NTA portal.
To download the answer key, candidates must log in using their Application Number and Password. This release allows aspirants to perform a preliminary score calculation before the official results are tabulated.
Objection Window: Strict Deadline of February 14
The NTA has opened a limited-time challenge window for candidates who find discrepancies in the provisional key. This is not a mere formality—objections raised now will be reviewed by a committee of subject experts, and the final answer key will be revised based on valid challenges.
Key Objection Details:
Authorities have explicitly stated that no challenges will be accepted without the prescribed fee, and no individual communication will be sent regarding the acceptance or rejection of objections. Furthermore, post-result complaints regarding the answer key will be summarily rejected.
Direct Link: AISSEE Answer Key 2026
Result 2026: When Will It Be Declared?
One of the most pressing questions for parents and students is the result timeline. According to official notifications, the AISSEE 2026 results are expected to be declared four to six weeks after the examination.
Given that the exam was held on January 18, this timeline firmly places the result announcement in the last week of February 2026. However, candidates should note that the final result will only be processed after the objection window closes on February 14 and the expert committee finalizes the revised answer key.
Note: While some unofficial sources have speculated a March or April result, official NTA communications consistently confirm a late February declaration, aligning with the standard 4-6 week processing window .*
AISSEE 2026: Understanding the Passing Marks
Qualifying the entrance exam requires more than just attempting the paper. The NTA has set specific minimum qualifying criteria that every candidate must meet to feature in the merit list.
Minimum Qualifying Marks (Class 6 and Class 9):
It is vital to distinguish between qualifying marks and cut-off marks. While the 40% aggregate is the bare minimum to pass, the final cut-off for admission to specific Sainik Schools will be significantly higher and will vary based on factors including category, gender, home state quota, and the number of applicants.
AISSEE 2026 is not just an exam; it is a gateway to a dramatically expanded network of Sainik Schools. Admissions this cycle will cover:
Class 6: Admissions across 69 newly approved Sainik Schools.
Class 9: Admissions in 19 specific New Sainik Schools that have reached Class 9 level for the 2026-27 session.
Key Admission Routes for New Sainik Schools:
Category A (40% Route): Open for girls. Age criteria remain identical to those of boys. Candidates must check the specific school website for seat availability for girls.
Category B (60% Route): Also open for girls. Candidates must be studying in the specific New Sainik School they wish to join and must have passed or be appearing in Class 5 by March 31, 2026.
For Class 9 admissions in the 19 new schools, admission is primarily for students who have passed Class 8 from a Sainik School vertical, limited to remaining vacancies.
Expert Analysis and Score Calculation
For students eager to estimate their rank, experts suggest that while the official result is pending, candidates can calculate their raw score using the answer key. For Class 6, each correct answer awards +3 marks (total 300). For Class 9, each correct answer awards +4 marks (total 400). There is no negative marking in either paper.
Preliminary analysis indicates the overall difficulty level of the January 18 paper was Easy to Moderate, with Mathematics being slightly lengthy but conceptual, and Intelligence sections being highly scoring.
Next Steps: Beyond the Answer Key
Candidates are advised to download the provisional answer key immediately and compare it with their response sheet. The window for objections is narrow and unforgiving.
Following the release of the final answer key, qualified candidates will proceed to:
For the latest updates, candidates should exclusively monitor the official NTA websites. The deadline of February 14, 2026, is absolute for both downloading the key and filing objections—no extensions are anticipated.
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