NEW DELHI: As Delhi gears up for the 2026–27 admission cycle in private schools, a familiar mix of neighbourhood preference, sibling points, alumni considerations and other parameters is set to guide nursery and entry-level admissions. The Directorate of Education (DoE) released the detailed criteria on November 27, outlining the norms that schools must follow for the upcoming session.
The DoE has already issued the full admission schedule, with application forms slated to be available from December 4. The first list of selected candidates will be declared on January 23, followed by the second list on February 9. Parents will have time between January 24 and February 3 to raise queries regarding point allocation.
The entire admission process will wrap up on March 19.
Schools across Delhi said they are likely to retain the criteria they have followed in recent years. Mallika Preman, principal of Tagore International School, East of Kailash, said the school will continue giving the highest weightage to neighbourhood applicants, followed by first-born children, siblings of current students, and wards of alumni.
“These parameters allow us to maintain a close-knit, community-focused environment and ensure that families living nearby get fair preference,” she said. Sudha Acharya, principal of ITL International School, Dwarka, echoed similar priorities. The school will continue to rely on distance, sibling preference, alumni connection and seats for wards of staff.
“Proximity remains the most practical consideration for us, while sibling and alumni points help maintain long-term family associations with the institution,” she said. Under the revised structure, the foundational stage includes Nursery and KG, followed by Class 1.
For admission in 2026–27, a child must be at least three years old for nursery, four for KG and five for Class 1 as on March 31, 2026. Schools may allow up to one month of age relaxation at the discretion of the head of school. The DoE has also directed all private schools to upload their full admission criteria and points for open seats excluding EWS, DG and CWSN categories by November 28. Schools must publish details of all applicants by January 9 and release the points awarded to each child by January 16.
Reiterating its stand on transparency, the department has reminded schools that they cannot use any criteria previously struck down by the government and upheld by the Delhi High Court.
All criteria-wise points must be clearly displayed on school websites, and any draw of lots must be conducted in the presence of parents and video recorded. Schools have also been instructed not to collect more than the Rs 25 non-refundable registration fee, nor charge capitation fees or require parents to purchase prospectuses.