ISSB Schedule 2026 and Centres: Kohat, Gujranwala, Malir and Quetta, Plus the 9 Ineligibility Rules

The Inter Services Selection Board (ISSB) tests candidates at four centres, Kohat, Gujranwala, Malir in Karachi and Quetta, and its current schedule has PAF courses at ISSB from 8 October to 11 November 2026. ISSB selects officers for the Pakistan Army, Navy and Air Force over four days. You cannot apply to ISSB directly. You reach it through one of the three services' recruitment sites.

We read ISSB's official site, issb.gov.pk, on 2 November 2026: its schedule, selection system, joining guidelines, ineligibility list and contact page. Below is the full tentative schedule, the four centres and their phone numbers, the nine rules that make a candidate ineligible, and what ISSB itself says about preparation.

ISSB's schedule runs by course, June to November 2026

ISSB publishes a tentative schedule by course, not by candidate. The current one runs from June to November 2026. The only course still at ISSB in November is the PAF group, from 8 October to 11 November. Your own reporting date and centre come on your call letter.

ISSB calls the schedule tentative and says it can change. The next schedule, for courses after November, was not on the site when we checked. New Navy candidates registering now for SSC Course 2027-A will appear at ISSB on a later schedule, after their computer test and preliminary stages.

Four ISSB centres test candidates across Pakistan

ISSB has four centres: Kohat, the oldest, set up in 1952, Gujranwala from 1984, Malir in Karachi from 1987, and Quetta from 2021. Headquarters is at Kohat Cantonment. Kohat's centre runs Monday to Friday, 9:00 am to 5:00 pm.

Which centre you go to is set by your call letter, not by your choice. The centres are spread out so candidates from every region can reach one. In 1952 the three inherited selection boards were merged into ISSB, which began in Lahore and later moved to Kohat, to the old Park Lane Hotel building.

Nine rules make a candidate ineligible for ISSB

ISSB's ineligibility list has nine conditions. The two that catch most repeat candidates are the 120 day gap after a "Not Recommended" result and the one year validity of an earlier ISSB, GHQ or AHQ board. Check these before you register with any service.

1. Permanently declared unfit (PUF) by an Appeal Medical Board.
2. Tested within four months (120 days) of a previous appearance, for Not Recommended candidates.
3. Tested within the one year validity period of an earlier ISSB, GHQ or AHQ selection board.
4. Withdrawn from any armed forces academy or training institution, on any ground.
5. Withdrawn from a bonded armed forces college or institution on disciplinary grounds.
6. Dismissed, removed or debarred from government service, including the armed forces.
7. Convicted by a court for an offence involving moral turpitude.
8. Declared medically unfit for Hepatitis B or C, where an Appeal Medical Board cannot be requested.
9. Declared unfit by any armed forces hospital, unless cleared by an Appeal Medical Board.

The Navy's criteria for 2027 add limits on how many times you may have been rejected or screened out by ISSB. Twice screened out by ISSB, for example, rules you out of Navy commission. Each service publishes its own version, so read the one for your entry too.

ISSB assesses you over four days

ISSB says candidates are assessed over a four day process by psychologists, Group Testing Officers (GTOs) and Deputy Presidents. They judge four kinds of quality: mental, moral, social and dynamic. The mix of individual and group tasks changes over time to suit the services' needs.

The joining guidelines are blunt about coaching. ISSB advises candidates not to join private ISSB coaching centres, saying their training is too narrow and makes thinking rigid. It points candidates instead to its own video documentary. That advice comes from the selectors themselves, which is worth remembering before paying a coaching fee.

What the guidelines ask for is plain: good appearance, sound English and Mathematics, self-confidence built through group activities, clear speech in Urdu and English, and an honest reason for wanting to join. Do not act aggressive or dull. Be frank.

How to reach ISSB through Army, Navy or PAF

ISSB does not take applications. You register with a service, clear its computer test, medical and interview, and only then get an ISSB call letter. The call letter tells you the date, centre and documents to bring.

1. Register on the service site: joinpakarmy.gov.pk, joinpaknavy.gov.pk or joinpaf.gov.pk.
2. Pass the service's initial test, medical and interview at its recruitment centre.
3. Wait for the ISSB call letter, which comes from the service.
4. Follow the call letter exactly and report to the named centre on the date given.
5. Bring every document the call letter lists. Missing papers can cost you the board.

The entry routes are covered in Pak Army registration, PAF registration and Pak Navy PN Cadet registration. ISSB also warns that any "sifarish", unfair means or breach of board instructions debars a candidate from commission.

Common questions

What is the ISSB schedule for November 2026?

The only course on ISSB's current schedule in November is the PAF group: PAF courses, 138 CSC, PAF (F) and Officers of PC, from 8 October to 11 November 2026.

Where are the ISSB centres?

Kohat, Gujranwala, Malir in Karachi, and Quetta. Headquarters is at Kohat Cantonment.

How long is the ISSB test?

ISSB describes it as a four day process run by psychologists, Group Testing Officers and Deputy Presidents.

How soon can I reappear at ISSB after Not Recommended?

Not within four months (120 days). A candidate tested within that gap is ineligible.

Can I choose my ISSB centre?

No. The centre and date are given in the call letter you receive through your service.

What is the ISSB phone number?

ISSB Headquarters at Kohat is 0922-920085, and the Kohat centre's selection office is 0922-9260171.

How we verified this

What we checked, where we read it, and what we could not confirm.

Last checked on 2 November 2026. We read the ISSB tentative schedule, the ISSB ineligibility page, and its selection system, guidelines, about and contact pages. The contact page loads Gujranwala, Malir and Quetta details only inside a browser map, so their phone numbers did not appear in the page text we read and we have not listed them. The Navy's ISSB rejection limits come from its SSC 2027-A criteria file dated 30 October 2026.