I messed up. More than once.
When my son told me he wanted to join a Rashtriya Military School ↗, I thought — how hard can it be? He's a good student. He reads a lot. We'll figure it out at home.
Spoiler — we didn't figure it out. Not even close.
It took us one failed attempt and a lot of sleepless nights to understand what actually works. And now I want to save you from making the same dumb mistakes I did.
Mistake 1 — I Thought School Marks Were Enough
My son was scoring 90+ in school. I was proud. I thought that would carry him through.
It didn't.
The Rashtriya Military School entrance exam is nothing like a school test. The paper covers Maths, English, GK, and reasoning — and it goes way beyond NCERT. The Class 6 exam is based on Class 5 level, and the Class 9 exam follows Class 8 level. But the difficulty? Much higher than what schools teach.
There are only five RMS schools in all of India — Chail, Ajmer, Dholpur, Belgaum, and Bengaluru. Seats are limited. Competition is brutal.
I should have started Rashtriya Military School coaching much sooner. Lesson learned.
Mistake 2 — I Ignored RIMC Completely
A friend told me about the Rashtriya Indian Military College in Dehradun. I brushed it off. Thought it was the same as Sainik School.
It's not. Not even close.
RIMC ↗ picks roughly 50 students a year. The exam is descriptive — not multiple choice. Your child actually has to write essays, solve problems on paper, and then face a viva. After that, there's a medical check too.
I wish I had looked into RIMC coaching from day one. By the time I found out, we had already lost precious months.
Mistake 3 — I Picked Coaching Based on Ads, Not Results
This one stings.
I enrolled my son in a big coaching centre because their ads were everywhere. Fancy building. Big promises. But the batches were huge — 50 kids in one room. Nobody knew my son's name. Nobody noticed when he struggled with reasoning questions.
When I finally switched to a smaller place that offered proper military school entrance coaching, things changed fast. The teachers knew each child. They tracked weak spots weekly. They gave real mock tests — timed, OMR-based, just like the actual exam.
The best Sainik coaching isn't always the most famous one. It's the one where your child isn't invisible.
Mistake 4 — I Didn't Know Both Levels Need Different Prep
Here's something nobody told me early on.
RMS Class 6 & 9 preparation are completely different. Class 6 has four sections — English, Maths, GK, and Intelligence. Your child needs 35% in English and 40% in the rest just to qualify.
Class 9? Two full papers. Six subjects. The bar is higher and the syllabus is wider.
And RIMC entrance exam coaching is a whole separate track. Descriptive papers. Essay writing. Interview skills. Physical fitness.
You can't treat them all the same. I did, and it cost us time.
Mistake 5 — I Left Everything for the Last Three Months
Biggest mistake of all.
We started serious prep just three months before the exam. That's like trying to learn swimming during a flood. It doesn't work.
Here's what I'd tell any parent now — start twelve months out. Build the basics first. Let coaching run alongside school. Start mock tests at least six months before the exam. And in that last month? Don't cram. Let your child rest. A calm kid performs better than a stressed one.
What I'd Do Differently Today
If I could go back, here's my honest list. Start RIMC coaching or Rashtriya Military School coaching early — at least a year ahead. Pick a centre with small batches and real results. Ask other parents. Don't trust ads alone. And most of all? Stay patient with your child.
A seat in a Rashtriya Military School or the Rashtriya Indian Military College isn't a small thing. It can shape your child's entire life.
Don't rush it. Don't wing it. Give your kid the right support — and then watch them fly.
