RMS CET 2026: Apply by Oct 20; late fee applications close Oct 25

The National Testing Agency (NTA) is set to close the regular registration process for the Rashtriya Military School Common Entrance Test (RMS CET) 2026 tomorrow, October 20, 2026, at 05:00 PM. This examination supports admissions to Classes 6 and 9 at the five Rashtriya Military Schools for the Academic Session 2027-28. The last date for the successful transaction of the regular application fee is also October 20, 2026, by 11:50 PM.

Candidates who miss the regular deadline will have an opportunity to submit their applications with a late fee of ₹500 from October 21, 2026, to October 25, 2026, by 05:00 PM. The final date for successful transaction of this late fee is October 25, 2026, by 11:50 PM. The NTA examination portal, exams.nta.nic.in/rmscet/, is the designated platform for registration.

Eligibility Criteria for Admissions

Specific age and educational qualifications are required for applicants to Classes 6 and 9. For Class 6 admission, candidates must be between 10 and 13 years old as of March 31, 2027, meaning they must have been born between April 1, 2014, and March 31, 2017, inclusive of both dates. They must also have passed Class 5 or be currently studying in Class 5 and pass it before admission.

For Class 9 admission, candidates should be between 13 and 16 years old as of March 31, 2027, with birth dates falling between April 1, 2011, and March 31, 2014, inclusive. Applicants for Class 9 must have passed Class 8 from a government or recognised school before admission. A six-month relaxation in the upper age limit is permissible for wards of personnel Killed in Action (KIA).

Application Fees and Reservations

The application fee varies by category. General, Other Backward Classes (OBC), and OBC-NCL candidates are required to pay ₹1,000. For Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST), and wards of Armed Forces personnel killed in action (KIA), the application fee is ₹750.

Rashtriya Military Schools, which are English-medium residential public schools run by the Ministry of Defence, have specific reservation policies. 70% of seats are reserved for Entitled Category JCOs/OR (Serving & Retired of Army, Air Force & Navy), 20% for Non-Entitled Category Officers (Serving & Retired of Army, Air Force & Navy), and 10% for Civilians. Additionally, 27% of seats are for OBC (NCL), 15% for SC, and 7.5% for ST. A total of 50 seats, with not more than 15 in any single school, are earmarked for wards of personnel Killed in Action (KIA). For girls, 10% of seats or a maximum of 30 seats combined across all five RMSs are reserved in Class 6, and 10% of seats combined across all five RMSs are reserved in Class 9.

Examination Schedule and Structure

The RMS CET 2026 written examination (Stage-I) is scheduled for December 13, 2026, a Sunday, with a duration of 2 hours and 30 minutes. Following the examination, candidates will have a window from October 27, 2026, to October 28, 2026, to correct details filled in their application forms. Results for Stage-I, along with final answer keys, are expected in January 2027. Medical examinations (Stage II) and interviews (Stage III) are slated for February – March 2027, with admitted candidates scheduled to join schools on April 1, 2027.

The examination pattern varies for Classes 6 and 9. For Class 6, the test includes English, Intelligence Test, Mathematics, and General Knowledge & Current Affairs. English marks are for qualification (minimum 35%) and are not counted in the final merit list, while other sections require a minimum of 40% to qualify. For Class 9, candidates face two papers: Paper 1 covers English, Hindi, and Social Science, and Paper 2 covers Mathematics and Science. A minimum of 50% in each paper is required to qualify.

Background of Rashtriya Military Schools

Rashtriya Military Schools, originally established as King George’s Royal Indian Military Schools in 1925, were initially intended to educate the sons of defence personnel. In 1952, their admission policy expanded to include sons of Defence Service Officers and civilians, leading to their reorganisation along Public School lines. The schools became members of the Indian Public Schools Conference (IPSC) in 1954. They were renamed Military Schools in 1966 and received their current designation, Rashtriya Military School, on June 25, 2007. These institutions are affiliated with the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) and provide education from Classes 6 to 12, aiming to impart quality education and prepare cadets for careers as officers in the Defence Services.

Further reading

• IIM Calcutta MBAEx 2027 Round 2 applications open; apply by December 1
• FORE School of Management MBA 2027 applications open: apply by December 15
• NEET MDS 2026 counselling: Tamil Nadu invites applications after cut-off lowered, apply by October 19
• NIFTEE 2027 registration starts: apply by 16 November without late fee
• NEET MDS 2026 counselling: CEE Kerala reopens applications, 49 seats vacant; apply by October 16

Written by Nishit Kumar

Nishit Kumar is a senior EdTech industry leader with over a decade of experience in building and scaling education platforms, shaping their product, content, and growth strategy. At FindMyCollege, Nishit oversees content and editorial strategy, guiding topic selection and content frameworks to ensure accuracy, relevance, and student-first value across the website.

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