How to get admission to Army Public Schools through Common Entrance Test
Admission to Class 5 up to Class 9 at some of the Army Public Schools (APS) in India is done through a Common Entrance Test (CET) for which registration is mandatory in order to seek admission to the APS. This article provides complete information on the APS CET, including the format, fees, the registration procedure, and the list of APS to which admission is open.
Army Welfare Education Society (AWES) has announced the Common Entrance Test for admission to six Army Public Schools (APS) for admission to Classes V to IX for the academic year beginning in 2022. Army Public Schools have been established mainly for the wards of serving Army Personnel with subsidized fees. Some seats at each APS are offered to the children of War-Widows, while all other categories are treated as civilians. 
[Image source: TOI, Mumbai, 31st October 2021]
It is mandatory to register for the common entrance test. Without registration, no child will be permitted to appear for the test. The six CBSE residential English medium Army Public Schools for which CET registration is open are-
Eligibility requirements
Academic qualification: The student should have passed the previous class, that is, passed Class IV for admission to Class V, passed Class V for admission to Class VI, passed Class VI for admission to Class VII, passed Class VII for admission to Class VIII, and passed Class VIII for admission to Class IX.
Age criteria: The minimum age as on on 31st March of the year in which admission is sought is-About APS CET
Time: The Common Entrance Test (CET) is of two hours' duration for Class V students, and of three hours for students of Classes VI to IX.
Format: For students seeking admission to Class V, the subjects are Hindi, English, and Maths, with 100 marks for each. For students seeking admission to Classes VI to IX, the subjects are Hindi, English, Maths, and Science & GK with 100 marks for each.
Registration and exam fees
The registration fee is Rs.4000/- for the wards of civilians, and Rs.2000/- for the wards of Defence Personnel. The exam fee is Rs. 500/- for everyone.
Mode of payment: The fees as stated above can be paid in online mode only with a Debit Card or a Credit Card or via Net Banking or Paytm Wallet.Application procedure
Registration has to be done online by parents at the AWES official website.
The prospectus for offline registration is available on payment of Rs.500/- at any of the Army Public Schools between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. on any working day. It is also available by post from the respective APS on payment of Rs.550/-.Exam Centres
The following Army Public Schools will be the Centres for the entrance Test-
In Assam: APS Narangi, P.O.Satgaon, Guwahati-781027.
In Delhi: APS Dhaula Kuan, Ridge Road, Delhi Cantonment, New Delhi-110010.
In Gujarat: APS Ahmedabad, Shahi Baug Road Cantt, Near Hanuman Temple, Pin-380004.
In Haryana: (i) APS Chandirnandir, Panchkula-134107; (ii) APS Hissar Cantt., Pin-125006.
In Himachal Pradesh: APS Dagshai, Dist. Solan, Pin-173210.
In Jammu: APS Jammu Cantt, Near Peer Baba, Pin-180003.
In Karnataka: APS Bangalore, Abdul Hamid Barracks, K Kamaraj Road, Pin-560042.
In Madhya Pradesh: APS Bhopal, Neori Hills, P.O. Mot Lal Nehru Nagar, Pin-462032.
In Maharashtra: APS Pune, Ghorpadi, near Ghorpadi Market, opp. Bank of Maharashtra, Pin-411001.
In Punjab: APS Beas, P.O. Dhilwan, Dist. Kapurthala, Pin-144804.
In Rajasthan: (i) APS Jaipur Military Station, Pin-302012: (ii) APS Jodhpur, near FOL Depot, Ajmer Road, Pin-342010.
In Telangana APS Secundrabad, Bolarum, Jai Jawahar Nagar, Pin-500087.
In Uttar Pradesh: (i) APS Lucknow, Nehru Rd, Near Red Eagle Army School, Neil Lines, Cantonment, Pin-226002: (ii) APS NOIDA, H88Q+JJ6, Arun Vihar, Sector 37, Pin-201303.
In Uttarakhand: (i) APS Clement Town, Dehradun, Pin-248001; (ii) Gen. B.C Joshi APS Pithoragarh, Pin-262501.
In West Bengal: APS Kolkata, Ballygunge Madain Camp, Pin-700019.Important dates
The online registrations will close on 15th January 2022.
Date of CET-2022: 13th February 2022, 10 a.m.After the CET result
Once the CET result is declared and the student is accepted for admission, parents have to submit certain documents at the time of admission. These include-
Note: In the case of wards of serving or retired Defence personnel, there are other documents as well, such as the Defence Personnel Service Certificate, the Medical Dependent Card, etc. Also, parents are advised to check the website of the specific APS to which admission is sought to know the relevant documents that are required to be submitted at the time of admission. It is also advisable to check which documents are required to be submitted in original.
Details have been sourced from a TOI print advt. of 31st October 2021 (Mumbai edition, page 8). Readers are advised to check the exam-related bulletin for CET-2022 that will be available at the official website of AWES, as well as at the respective APS websites.
Follow
Joining an Army Public School could be a very good proposition for children who may or may not be wards of army personnel. First thing, they are a bit different from all other schools, including, the Kendriya Vidyalayas. At the same time, it is worth mentioning that though they may sound similar; these schools are quite different from Sainik Schools that work with an entirely different concept. Coming back to the Army Public Schools, since the management of such schools is under the Army top brass of that area, the schools are much more efficiently administered compared to normal schools. Discipline is the key in such schools. Students get to learn many etiquette and imbibe habits that come useful in their later life. Outdoor and health related activities are given a lot of importance. Since many of the teaching staff are from army families themselves, much of the culture, like conversation in English, personality improvement and other traits are easily transferred to the students. The students are also mainly from army background, and thus hail from different parts of India. The atmosphere in such schools is thus a cosmopolitan one with no regional bias. No wonder, students who pass out from these schools do extremely well in colleges as well as in their later career. For those passionate about joining the defence services, these schools can be a very good choice.