AISSEE 2026 Stray Vacancy Choice Filling: How to Select Sainik Schools in Order of Preference

In AISSEE 2026 stray vacancy choice filling, your preference order decides which Sainik School you get — rank your most preferred school first and fill every school you are willing to attend to maximise your allotment chances.

The All India Sainik Schools Admission Counselling (AISSAC) 2026 stray vacancy round is the final opportunity to secure a seat in any of the 51 participating Sainik Schools. Conducted by NTA on behalf of Sainik Schools Society, this round fills seats left vacant after main allotment due to non-joining or withdrawal. Your allotment depends entirely on your AISSEE 2026 merit rank and the school preferences you submit online — which means a smart preference order can make the difference between a seat and no seat.

• Stray vacancy seats are allotted on a merit-cum-preference basis — rank determines priority, preferences determine the school.
• 51 Sainik Schools participate in AISSAC 2026 — 33 traditional schools and 18 newly approved schools.
• Students in the state domicile category get priority for home-state Sainik School seats — fewer competitors.
• Fill every school you are willing to attend — more choices directly increase your allotment probability.
• Stray vacancy allotment is final — no further upgrade rounds follow after this stage.
• Official portal: exams.nta.nic.in/sainik-school-society | Helpdesk: 011-40759000 / aissee@nta.ac.in

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What is AISSEE 2026 Stray Vacancy Round?

The stray vacancy round is the closing phase of AISSAC 2026. After the main merit list allotment and provisional admission rounds, some seats across Sainik Schools remain unfilled. This happens when allotted students do not report for admission, withdraw, or when category-specific seats go unclaimed. NTA consolidates all these leftover seats and offers them to eligible waitlisted students through fresh online choice filling.

Who can participate in the stray vacancy round: students on the AISSEE 2026 merit or waitlist who did not secure a seat in earlier rounds, or students who were allotted a school but wish to be considered for a different one (subject to rules in the official AISSAC notice). Check the official stray vacancy notification for exact eligibility conditions before proceeding.

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How to Fill Choices for AISSEE 2026 Stray Vacancy (Step-by-Step)

Follow these steps during the active choice filling window on the NTA portal:

1. Go to exams.nta.nic.in/sainik-school-society and click the AISSAC 2026 Stray Vacancy link.
2. Log in with your AISSEE 2026 Application Number and Date of Birth.
3. Navigate to the Choice Filling section — a list of schools with stray vacancy seats will appear.
4. Note the seat availability per school per category before arranging your preferences.
5. Select schools and drag or number them in your order of preference — most preferred school at position 1.
6. Add all schools you are willing to attend; do not skip any school you would accept.
7. Review the complete list top to bottom before hitting Submit.
8. Save or print the confirmation page — this is your only proof of submission.

You can revise and re-submit choices multiple times until the window closes. Each re-submission overwrites the previous one — always re-submit after any edit to confirm the updated list is saved. The preference order active at window close is treated as final.

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How to Select Sainik Schools in Order of Preference

Your preference order is the single biggest lever you control in the stray vacancy round. Use this five-step ranking strategy:

The golden rule: fill every school you would accept, without exception. A student who lists 30 schools is always safer than one who lists 8. If your merit rank is borderline, breadth of preference — not selective caution — is what secures your seat.

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Key Factors to Consider Before Filling Preferences

Evaluate each school on these parameters before locking in your AISSEE 2026 stray vacancy preference list:

• State domicile advantage: Every Sainik School reserves a share of seats for students domiciled in that state. If you hold domicile for a state, place that state’s school early in your list — your competition for those seats is significantly smaller.
• Category seat availability: Stray vacancies are category-specific (General, SC, ST, Defence, Ex-Servicemen). Add only schools where your category has a vacant seat — the portal should indicate this clearly.
• Class applying for: Class 6 and Class 9 stray vacancies run as separate processes. Confirm you are choosing schools for the correct class.
• Distance from home: Sainik Schools are fully residential. While distance does not affect allotment, closer schools reduce travel cost and time during term breaks — a practical factor for families.
• School track record: Check publicly available data on each school’s NDA selections, Rashtriya Military School entries, and sports achievements — these are available in school prospectuses and official publications.
• Fee structure: Fees vary slightly by school and category. Defence and ex-servicemen wards receive a subsidised rate. Review fee details in the official seat matrix before ranking schools.
• Newly approved schools: The 18 schools added recently operate in partnership with NGOs, private schools, or state governments. Facilities and track records are still being established — factor this in when ranking them relative to the 33 traditional schools.

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Sainik Schools in AISSAC 2026 — State-wise List

The table below lists the 33 traditional Sainik Schools by state. Only schools with actual stray vacancy seats will appear in the online choice filling portal — check the official stray vacancy seat matrix on the NTA site for the confirmed list and per-category seat counts.

In addition to these 33 traditional schools, 18 newly approved Sainik Schools operating in partnership with state governments, NGOs, and private institutions are also part of AISSAC 2026. Their full list and stray vacancy seat availability are published in the official seat matrix at the NTA portal.