RMS CET: Rashtriya Military School Exam Pattern, Eligibility and Preparation

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RMS CET, the Rashtriya Military Schools Common Entrance Test, is the entrance exam for Class 6 and Class 9 admission to the five Rashtriya Military Schools. For the current cycle, the National Testing Agency (NTA) conducts it on behalf of the schools, which are run by the Ministry of Defence. The schools are at Chail, Ajmer, Dholpur, Belgaum and Bengaluru.

The written test is a 200-mark pen-and-paper exam. Candidates who qualify then go through a medical examination and an interview, and the final merit list combines written and interview marks.

RMS CET at a glance

Full name	Rashtriya Military Schools Common Entrance Test
Conducted by	National Testing Agency (NTA), for the Rashtriya Military Schools, Ministry of Defence
Exam level	National
Held	Once a year, usually in December
Mode	Pen and paper, OMR answer sheet
Duration	2 hours 30 minutes
Subjects	Class 6: English, Intelligence, Mathematics, General Knowledge. Class 9: English, Hindi, Social Science, Mathematics, Science
Total marks	200 written, plus interview (20 for Class 6, 50 for Class 9)
Negative marking	No
Languages	Class 6: bilingual English and Hindi. Class 9: English only
Leads to	Class 6 and Class 9 admission, as boarders, in the five Rashtriya Military Schools
Official website	exams.nta.nic.in/rmscet

RMS CET important dates

These dates update automatically from Kosuki’s exam calendar. “Announced” dates come from the official notice; “Expected” months are based on past years.

!Dates can change. Always confirm on the official website. Report a wrong date · How we check dates

What is RMS CET?

Rashtriya Military Schools are English-medium, residential, CBSE-affiliated public schools for Classes 6 to 12. They admit children of defence personnel as well as civilians. All students are boarders; there are no day scholars.

RMS CET is the only route into Class 6 and Class 9. Each school takes a limited number of students, so the test, the medical and the interview together decide selection.

RMS CET eligibility

Age is counted as on 31 March of the admission year. The rules below are from the latest information bulletin.

• Class 6: 10 to 13 years old, and passed or studying in Class 5.
• Class 9: 13 to 16 years old, and passed Class 8 from a government or recognized school.
• Wards of defence personnel killed in action get a six-month relaxation in the upper age limit.
• Girls are eligible. Around 10 percent of seats are set aside for girls, with a cap for Class 6 given in the bulletin.

RMS CET seat reservation

Most seats are for children of defence personnel: 70 percent for wards of JCOs and other ranks, 20 percent for wards of officers, and 10 percent for civilians. SC, ST and OBC (non-creamy layer) reservation applies within these groups. A limited number of seats is also kept for wards of personnel killed in action.

RMS CET exam pattern

The RMS CET exam pattern is objective, answered on an OMR sheet. Class 6 has four sections; Class 9 has two papers covering five subjects. Each section has a minimum qualifying score.

Class	Section	Marks	Minimum to qualify
6	English	50 (50 questions)	35%
6	Intelligence Test	50 (50 questions)	40%
6	Mathematics	50 (50 questions)	40%
6	General Knowledge	50 (50 questions)	40%
6	Interview	20	None stated
9	Paper 1: English 50, Hindi 20, Social Science 30	100 (100 questions)	50%
9	Paper 2: Mathematics 50, Science 50	100 (100 questions)	50%
9	Interview	50	None stated

RMS CET marking scheme

• There is no negative marking.
• Each question carries 1 mark in both Class 6 and Class 9.
• Each section must be cleared at its minimum percentage. A high total does not help if one section falls below the cutoff.
• For Class 6, English must be cleared at 35 percent, but English marks are not counted in the merit total.
• Interview marks are added to the written score to prepare the final merit list.
• Ties are broken by Mathematics first. For Class 6 the order then runs Intelligence, General Knowledge, English and interview; for Class 9, Science, English, Social Science and Hindi.

RMS CET syllabus

The Class 6 test is based on the CBSE Class 5 curriculum, and the Class 9 test on the CBSE Class 8 curriculum. Useful focus areas include the following.

• Mathematics: number system, fractions and decimals, LCM and HCF, percentage, profit and loss, simple interest, time and distance, measurement, and geometry and mensuration at the relevant class level.
• Intelligence (Class 6): series, analogies, classification, coding-decoding, direction sense and figure-based reasoning.
• English: comprehension, grammar and vocabulary.
• General Knowledge (Class 6): India and the world, science around us, sports, defence forces, and current events.
• Class 9 Science, Social Science and Hindi: NCERT Class 8 chapters and Hindi grammar and comprehension.

RMS CET result and selection process

Selection has four stages. First, the written exam result is declared by NTA. Shortlisted candidates are then called for a medical examination at military hospitals, followed by an interview. The final merit list is prepared by adding interview marks to the written score, and seats are offered by category and school.

The medical center is assigned by the authorities and cannot be changed, so plan travel early once the list is out.

How to prepare for RMS CET

RMS CET rewards balanced preparation because every section has its own qualifying score. The Class 9 papers need 50 percent in each, which is a real bar.

• Class 6: give equal time to Mathematics, Intelligence and General Knowledge, since all three count in merit. Keep English strong enough to cross 35 percent comfortably.
• Class 9: Paper 2 is Mathematics and Science. Finish all Class 7 and Class 8 NCERT exercises and in-text questions.
• Class 9: do not ignore Hindi and Social Science in Paper 1. Together they carry half of that paper.
• With 200 questions in two and a half hours for Class 6, speed matters. Practice 50-question sets in about 35 minutes.
• Take timed mock tests on an OMR sheet, and review wrong answers the same day. Kosuki can hold mock scores and section-wise progress.
• Prepare for the interview: practice speaking clearly about yourself, your school, your interests and why you want a military school.

How to apply for RMS CET

1. Read the information bulletin and prospectus on the NTA RMS CET page.
2. Register online and fill in the candidate’s details, class applied for and category (JCO/OR, officer or civilian).
3. Choose an exam city and upload the photograph, signature and certificates asked for.
4. Pay the fee online and save the confirmation page.
5. Download the admit card when released and carry it with a valid ID on exam day.

RMS CET FAQs

Related exam guides

• JNVST Class 6: Exam Pattern, Syllabus, Eligibility and Preparation
• JNVST Class 9: Exam Pattern, Syllabus, Eligibility and Preparation
• AISSEE: Sainik School Exam Pattern, Syllabus, Eligibility and Preparation

Sources

• exams.nta.nic.in/rmscet
• cdnbbsr.s3waas.gov.in/s388a839f2f6f1427879fc33ee4acf4f66/uploads/2026/09/202609251417309484.pdf
• school.careers360.com/articles/rashtriya-military-school-exam-pattern

Last reviewed September 2026 against the official National Testing Agency (NTA), for Rashtriya Military Schools / Ministry of Defence notice and information brochure. Exam rules can change from year to year, so always confirm details on the official website before you apply. Kosuki is independent and is not connected with any exam body. Spotted something out of date? Write to contact@kosuki.com.