Join Pak Army 2026: Register for PMA 159 Long Course by 23 October

Join Pak Army online registration for the PMA 159 Long Course is open now at joinpakarmy.gov.pk and closes on 23 October 2026. You need FA or FSc with at least 60% marks, a height of 5 feet 4 inches, and an age of 17 to 22 on 1 May 2027.

That is the officer intake. Soldier recruitment is also open, until 23 November 2026. No other Army course was taking registrations when we checked.

We read the course list and the eligibility pages on joinpakarmy.gov.pk on 26 September 2026, including the text the site loads in the background. The official advertisement on the site gives the same dates: 14 September to 23 October 2026. We did not register ourselves, so we have not seen the fee challan or its amount.

Which Pak Army intakes are open in 2026

Two intakes are open on the Army's own site today. The PMA 159 Long Course, the main route to become a regular officer, closes on 23 October 2026. Soldier recruitment closes on 23 November 2026. The medical and nursing entries for 2026 have already closed.

Graduates often search for a separate "graduate course". The Army's FAQ says that course has been merged into the PMA Long Course. So if you hold a bachelor's degree, you apply here too, with a slightly higher age limit.

PMA 159 Long Course eligibility, as the Army lists it

You must be a male citizen of Pakistan, or a domicile holder of Azad Kashmir or Gilgit-Baltistan, unmarried, at least 5 feet 4 inches tall, and aged 17 to 22 on 1 May 2027. FA or FSc marks must be at least 60%.

• Age: 17 to 22 years on 1 May 2027 for intermediate candidates. The site's own date check accepts births from 1 May 2005 to 1 May 2010. This limit can be relaxed by three months at either end.
• Graduates: up to 23 years with a two-year degree, and up to 24 with a four-year degree such as BS, BBA or BA (Hons). No relaxation for four-year graduates.
• Marks: at least 60% in FA, FSc or equivalent. A graduate with 60% in the degree can apply with 50% in FA or FSc.
• Lower marks for some areas: 55% for candidates who hold a domicile of, and actually studied in, areas such as Balochistan, Gilgit-Baltistan, Chitral, Dir, Kohistan, Tharparkar and Rajanpur.
• A Level: 60% aggregate, with an IBCC equivalence certificate.
• Height: 5 feet 4 inches (162.5 cm). Weight must fit the Body Mass Index standard.
• Marital status: unmarried. Married serving members of the armed forces over 20 are eligible.
• Dual nationality: allowed to apply, but other nationalities, green cards or residence permits must be given up on final selection.

Some people cannot apply at all. The list includes anyone twice rejected by ISSB, anyone who failed the initial test three times, and anyone tested at ISSB less than 120 days ago. Forged or altered certificates make you permanently ineligible for every commission.

How to register online on joinpakarmy.gov.pk

Registration is online only and runs every day, weekends included, until 23 October 2026. You fill one form, upload a photo, and wait 5 to 7 working days for your roll number slip. The slip gives your test centre, date and time.

1. Open joinpakarmy.gov.pk, press "Apply Now" and choose PMA Long Course.
2. Fill in your personal details, CNIC or Form B, address, domicile district and education with percentages. If your result is pending, choose "Result Awaited".
3. Upload a 1x1 passport-size photo in formal dress, blue or white background, as a JPEG under 300 KB.
4. Choose your test centre and submit. The site blocks a date of birth outside the age range, and a CNIC that is already registered.
5. After 5 to 7 working days, open "Registration Status", choose the course, enter your CNIC and download your slip and fee challan.

Pay the fee at a National Bank of Pakistan branch using that challan. The Army says the fee goes to its NBP GHQ Branch account titled "Registration and Examination Fee Personnel Administration Directorate". The amount is printed on the challan. We could not see it without registering.

Under 18? You need a computerised NADRA Form B plus your father's or mother's CNIC. The Army says the old manual Form B and old identity cards are not accepted.

Documents to take to the initial test

Bring originals and one attested set of photocopies. The Army asks for your Matric and FA or FSc certificates and detailed marks sheets, your CNIC or Form B, your domicile, the paid fee slip, the roll number slip, and three attested passport-size photos.

• Original certificates and detailed marks sheets of Matric and FA, FSc or equivalent.
• CNIC if you are 18 or over, or computerised Form B with a parent's CNIC.
• Original domicile certificate.
• Three coloured passport-size photos, attested on the front and back by your principal or a Class-1 gazetted officer.
• The paid fee challan and your roll number slip.
• For repeaters, the original ISSB "Not Recommended" letter and one copy.

The slip says to arrive one hour early. Mobile phones, calculators, smart watches, laptops, notebooks and bags are not allowed inside the centre. If a board issued you a duplicate or revised marks sheet, get a verification certificate from the board's controller of exams first.

What happens at the initial test and interview

The initial test runs from 5 October to 15 December 2026 at Army Selection and Recruitment Centres, on weekdays only. It has four parts: a written and intelligence test with short essays, a medical check, a physical test, and an interview.

The written test is multiple choice and taken on a computer, so basic computer skills matter. Before the interview you write a 10-line essay in English and another in Urdu, on a "topic of the day" shown in the hall.

The physical test on the site is a 1 km run in 8 minutes, plus push-ups and sit-ups to a qualifying standard. The interview is scored out of 20. Below 10 is a fail, and a failed candidate does not get the ISSB form. Interviewers look at your English and Urdu, current affairs, geography and Pakistan studies, sports and hobbies.

Repeaters are handled differently. They report to their centre between 12 and 23 October 2026 for the preliminary test. A candidate applying to PMA for the first time counts as fresh, even after a Navy or Air Force ISSB.

The centres are in Rawalpindi, Lahore, Karachi, Peshawar, Quetta, Gilgit, Hyderabad, Multan, Dera Ismail Khan, Muzaffarabad, Faisalabad, Khuzdar, Pano Aqil and Turbat.

ISSB, medical and final selection

Pass the initial test and you fill in the online ISSB form, then submit a character certificate form within five working days. The Personnel Administration Directorate then calls candidates to ISSB on merit. Medical checks and a final GHQ decision follow.

The ISSB, or Inter Services Selection Board, selects officers for all three services. Its own website describes a four-day assessment by psychologists, group testing officers and deputy presidents. Its centres are in Kohat, Gujranwala, Malir and Quetta.

The ISSB schedule published on 26 September 2026 showed dates for the 158 PMA Long Course only. Dates for the 159 course were not posted yet, so wait for your call-up letter and the website.

After ISSB recommends you, a detailed medical check is done at a Combined Military Hospital. GHQ makes the final choice on overall performance. Training at the Pakistan Military Academy, Kakul, lasts two years.

Pakistanis living abroad skip the preliminary test. They apply through the defence attache at a Pakistani embassy by 26 December 2026.

The Navy's officer cadet intake is open at the same time, with an earlier deadline of 11 October 2026. Its eligibility and tests are set out in Pakistan Navy PN Cadet registration.

Fake Army recruitment sites and agents asking for money

The only official registration site is joinpakarmy.gov.pk, ending in .gov.pk. The Army collects its fee through an NBP challan generated from your own registration. Nobody can sell you a seat, a test date or an ISSB pass.

Some facts from the Army's own site help you spot a fake:

• The Army's FAQ still names an older address, joinpakarmy.com.pk. When we tried it on 26 September 2026 it returned a server error and did not load. Do not use it or any lookalike.
• The fee account is titled "Registration and Examination Fee Personnel Administration Directorate". A personal bank account, JazzCash or Easypaisa number is not it.
• The Army warns that a candidate found trained at a private ISSB coaching centre can be made ineligible for all commissions.
• Tampered certificates or concealed facts make you permanently ineligible.

If a caller or message asks for money to "confirm" your selection, you can report the fake call or SMS. Check anything doubtful with the Join Pak Army help desk on 051-5686225, or webmaster@joinpakarmy.gov.pk. The GHQ Facilitation Centre is on 051-111-130-786.

Common questions

What is the last date for Pak Army online registration in 2026?

23 October 2026 for the PMA 159 Long Course. Soldier registration stays open until 23 November 2026.

Can I join the Pak Army after Matric?

Not as an officer. The Army's FAQ says the minimum for commissioned courses is intermediate. With Matric you can look at soldier recruitment, where the FAQ sets the age at 17.5 to 23 for Matric holders.

Can a graduate apply for the PMA Long Course?

Yes. The separate graduate course has been merged into the PMA Long Course. The age limit is 23 with a two-year degree and 24 with a four-year degree.

Is the 60% marks condition relaxed for anyone?

Yes. Candidates from specified areas such as Balochistan, Gilgit-Baltistan and Tharparkar need 55%, but only if they hold that domicile and studied there. Serving soldiers need 50%.

Can I apply with an FSc result still pending?

The registration form has a "Result Awaited" option. You must still meet the marks condition once your result arrives.

How long does the roll number slip take?

Normally 5 to 7 working days after you register. Check it under "Registration Status" with your CNIC.

Can girls apply for the PMA Long Course?

No. The Army lists the PMA Long Course for male candidates. Women enter through the Lady Cadet Course and other entries, which were not open on 26 September 2026.

Last checked and sources

Last checked on 26 September 2026. The open and closed intakes, the PMA 159 Long Course registration dates of 14 September to 23 October 2026, the test window of 5 October to 15 December 2026, the age cut-off date of 1 May 2027 and the soldier registration dates are read in the course data published by joinpakarmy.gov.pk, and the dates match the Army's own advertisement image on the site. Eligibility, marks, relaxation areas, ineligibility rules, the registration and test procedure, documents, the fee account, the repeater window, the overseas deadline and the two-year PMA training are read in the PMA Long Course pages of the same site. The photo rules, the "Result Awaited" option and the slip instructions come from the site's registration form and slip. ISSB details and schedule are read on issb.gov.pk. We did not register or pay a fee, so the fee amount is not stated here.