Your child passed the AISSEE ↗ 2026. Now one thing stands between them and a Sainik School seat - registering for e-counselling.
Miss this step? No seat. Simple as that.
A lot of families assume the hard work is over after the written exam. It is not. E-counselling is where the actual seat gets allocated. And every year, some students who scored well lose out just because their parents did not complete the registration on time.
Do not let that happen.
Before You Start - Keep These Ready
You need three things before you open the portal:
- Your child's AISSEE 2026 admit card - the application number is on it
- The mobile number used during NTA registration - the OTP goes here
- The email address used during NTA registration
That is it. No documents are uploaded at this stage. Registration is completely free.
Step 1 - Open the AISSAC Portal
Go to the official AISSAC website: pesa.ncog.gov.in/sainikschoolecounselling
This is the only authorised portal. No agent, no third-party website, no WhatsApp service has any connection to this process. If anyone claims they can register on your behalf for a fee - that is a scam.
On the homepage, click New Registration.
Step 2 - Enter the Application Number
Take out your child's AISSEE 2026 admit card. Find the application number and type it into the portal.
Click Verify.
The email and mobile number linked to the NTA registration will appear automatically on screen. You do not need to type these.
Step 3 - Generate and Enter the OTP
Click Send OTP.
An OTP will arrive on the registered mobile number and email. Enter it into the portal and click Verify OTP.
If the OTP does not arrive within a minute, check the email inbox. If neither works, the mobile number may have changed. In that case, contact the NTA helpdesk - [email protected] - before the deadline.
Step 4 - Set Your Password
Once the OTP is verified, you will be asked to set a password for the AISSAC account.
Choose something you will remember. Write it down somewhere safe. You will need this to log back in for choice filling, correction, and checking results.
Click Submit.
Step 5 - Review and Confirm Your Details
Log back in using your application number and the password you just set.
Your details - name, category, domicile, gender - will appear on screen. Check everything carefully.
If domicile or gender is wrong, this is the window to fix it. Use the correction option before confirming. Once you click Confirm Registration and submit, some details cannot be changed again.
Category is one thing you cannot change at this stage. Whatever was filled during AISSEE registration on the NTA portal carries over permanently. So if there was an error there, the AISSAC portal will not fix it - flag it immediately to the helpdesk.
Step 6 - Wait for Choice Filling to Open
Registration and choice filling are two separate steps.
Registration opened in January 2026. Choice filling - where you select your preferred Sainik Schools - is expected to open in April 2026. The registration window re-opened for a final time from 30 March to 1 April 2026 for candidates who missed the earlier window.
Once choice filling opens, you can add up to 10 Sainik Schools in order of preference. Think carefully about the order. Seats are allocated based on your child's all-India rank, domicile, category and gender - and the school listed first gets priority.
Lock your choices before the deadline. You can edit after locking, but only while the window is still open.
Quick Timeline Recap
|
What |
When |
|
Registration opened |
22 January 2026 |
|
Registration deadline extended to |
28 February 2026 |
|
Final re-open window |
30 March - 1 April 2026 |
|
Choice filling expected |
April 2026 |
|
Round 1 results expected |
June 2026 |
Check the portal regularly - dates shift and are updated without much advance notice.
One Last Thing
The seat you get through e-counselling is provisional. It only becomes final after your child passes the medical examination at the school.
Medical rounds happen after seat allotment. Do not skip it, do not delay it. Missing the medical means losing the seat - no exceptions.
Registration is the first step. Get it done.
