Army Jobs
PMA Long Course 159 Pakistan Army 2026 Full Time
PMA Long Course 159 Pakistan Army 2026 ISSB tests are now scheduled from 5 June to 18 September 2026, giving eligible young Pakistani men a clear window to register and prepare for the most prestigious officer commission route in the Pakistan Army. This is the standard permanent commission pathway that leads to two years of residential training at Pakistan Military Academy Kakul before commissioning as a Second Lieutenant.
Why This Job Matters
PMA Long Course is not simply another government job application. It is a life decision with consequences that extend across decades. The two years at Pakistan Military Academy Kakul do not just produce military officers they produce a specific kind of person. Someone with the physical resilience to function under sustained pressure, the mental discipline to lead others in genuinely difficult situations, the professional ethics to make hard decisions honestly, and the institutional commitment to something larger than personal career advancement. Former PMA Long Course graduates consistently describe their time at Kakul as the most formative experience of their lives regardless of what they subsequently achieved in uniform or out of it. For a young Pakistani man who has the qualifications, the physical fitness, and the genuine motivation to serve his country as a commissioned officer PMA Long Course 159 with ISSB tests open until 18 September 2026 is a concrete, time-limited opportunity that deserves serious and immediate action.
About Pakistan Army
Pakistan Army is the land warfare branch of the Pakistan Armed Forces and one of the largest and most operationally experienced armies in the world. It has defended Pakistan’s territorial integrity across multiple conflicts, contributed to United Nations peacekeeping operations on four continents, and stood beside Pakistani communities during floods, earthquakes, and national crises. The Army commissions officers through PMA Long Course as its primary permanent commission route, producing officers who serve across all arms and services for careers that typically span twenty to thirty years of active service.
PMA Long Course 159 ISSB 2026 Overview
ISSB evaluation for PMA Long Course 159 runs from 5 June through 18 September 2026 at ISSB centres in Kohat, Gujranwala, Quetta, and Karachi. This is a long evaluation window giving candidates significant flexibility. Candidates who register early can appear at their preferred date with adequate preparation time rather than rushing into an early slot unprepared.
Eligibility Criteria
| Category | Education | Age Limit |
|---|---|---|
| Intermediate FSc FA DAE | FSc minimum 60% or FA minimum 55% | 17 to 22 years |
| A-Level | A-Level minimum 60% plus IBCC equivalence | 17 to 22 years |
| 2-Year Graduate | Bachelor’s 2-year degree | Up to 23 years |
| 4-Year Graduate | Bachelor’s 4-year degree | Up to 24 years |
| Serving Soldiers | Current Army service | Up to 25 years |
| Height | All categories | Minimum 5 feet 4 inches |
| Nationality | Pakistani male nationals | Valid CNIC or B-Form |
Key Responsibilities After Commissioning
- Lead and command soldiers in assigned units across all arms and services of the Pakistan Army. Entry-level commissioned officers lead platoons of 30 to 40 soldiers from day one of their first posting the leadership responsibility begins immediately, not after years of gradual introduction.
- Maintain the physical and professional readiness of troops under command consistently. An officer’s personal physical fitness is not just a personal health matter it directly influences the standards and morale of every soldier who serves under that officer’s command.
- Participate in training exercises, operational deployments, and field activities across diverse Pakistani terrain from northern mountain environments to southern desert conditions. The operational versatility expected of Pakistan Army officers requires sustained physical and mental adaptability throughout a career.
- Contribute to the welfare and professional development of soldiers in the unit. The best Pakistan Army officers are genuinely known among their soldiers as officers who care about their families, their welfare, their professional growth, and their individual dignity not just about mission outcomes.
- Attend regular professional development courses and staff colleges throughout the service career. Pakistan Army invests continuously in the education of its officers and promotion systems reward those who perform consistently well in both operational and academic military contexts.
Application Process
- Visit PAK ARMY and register for PMA Long Course 159
- Fill all personal educational and physical details accurately
- Upload CNIC or B-Form, educational certificates, domicile, and photographs
- Submit and download roll number slip
- Appear at assigned AS&RC for preliminary written test and physical assessment
- Clear ISSB evaluation at Kohat Gujranwala Quetta or Karachi
- Final medical at CMH followed by GHQ merit selection
Required Documents
- FSc or equivalent educational certificates attested
- CNIC or B-Form
- Father’s CNIC
- Domicile certificate
- Recent passport-size photographs
- IBCC equivalence certificate for A-Level candidates
- Hope Certificate for final-year FSc candidates with minimum 60% in Part I
Preparation Tips
- Begin physical training at least three months before your planned ISSB date. The preliminary AS&RC physical test and the ISSB physical obstacle course both require specific fitness that general activity does not build adequately. Daily running, push-ups, chin-ups, and ditch-crossing practice should be structured and progressive not random. Many academically strong candidates fail at the physical stage simply because they underestimated how specifically demanding Army physical standards are.
- For ISSB, be genuine rather than rehearsed. Pakistan Army ISSB evaluators have decades of combined experience identifying candidates who are performing a version of themselves versus those who are simply being their most confident and organized natural self. The candidates who are consistently recommended are not those who gave perfect answers they are those who engaged authentically, communicated clearly, and demonstrated natural leadership in group situations without trying to dominate artificially.
- Read a newspaper for at least four weeks before your ISSB date. Current affairs questions about Pakistan’s security environment, economic situation, foreign relations, and domestic developments are standard in ISSB interviews. Candidates who follow the news daily give noticeably more confident and credible answers than those who try to catch up in the final week before their evaluation.
- For more Pakistan Army career opportunities, browse our listings at NextJobTop.com Army Jobs and stay updated with all upcoming Army recruitment announcements.
Salary Details
Not disclosed in official advertisement. Pakistan Army Second Lieutenants upon commissioning receive government officer pay scale. Based on current Army pay structures, newly commissioned officers typically earn between Rs. 70,000 and Rs. 100,000 in basic pay before allowances. Free accommodation at Army stations, free medical treatment for officer and family, mess facilities, travel concessions, field allowances during operational deployments, and a full pension after completing mandatory service years make the total compensation package substantially more valuable than the base salary figure alone suggests.
How to Apply
Visit PAK ARMY and register for PMA Long Course 159
Complete online form with educational and personal details
Upload CNIC, domicile, educational certificates, and photograph
Submit and save registration confirmation
Appear at assigned ISSB centre on notified date
ISSB Test Dates: 5 June to 18 September 2026
Last Date: Check joinpakarmy.gov.pk for registration deadline
Eligible Pakistani males from all provinces are encouraged to apply. Selection is purely merit based.
If you are also looking for other Pakistan Army career opportunities browse more jobs at Nextjobtop .
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs):
What education is required for PMA Long Course 159?
Answer: Minimum FSc Intermediate with 60 percent marks is required for the 17 to 22 years age category. Candidates with two-year graduation degrees can apply up to age 23 and four-year degree holders up to age 24. All qualifications must be from HEC or board recognized institutions. A-Level candidates need IBCC equivalence certificate.
What happens during the PMA Long Course ISSB evaluation?
Answer: The ISSB evaluation spans four to five days at one of the four centres in Kohat, Gujranwala, Quetta, or Karachi. Day one covers written psychological and intelligence tests. Days two and three involve group planning exercises, group obstacle tasks, and individual command tasks. Day four or five includes the formal interview with the ISSB President and Senior Psychologist. Physical fitness tests are conducted throughout the evaluation period.
What is the salary and training period for PMA Long Course 159?
Answer: The salary is not publicly disclosed but PMA cadets receive a monthly stipend during the two-year residential training period at PMA Kakul. Upon commissioning as Second Lieutenant, officers receive a government officer pay scale salary with free accommodation, medical treatment, and travel concessions. The two-year training covers military tactics, leadership, physical fitness, and academic subjects specific to the Army curriculum.
How many attempts are allowed at ISSB for PMA Long Course?
Answer: Candidates are generally allowed a limited number of ISSB appearances. A candidate not recommended after appearing can reappear subject to age and eligibility conditions. Candidates permanently screened out by ISSB are ineligible for future attempts. It is always better to prepare thoroughly for the first attempt since each appearance counts. Visit joinpakarmy.gov.pk for the exact policy on repeat appearances applicable to your specific situation.