PMA and PNPA Entrance Exams: The Military and Police Academy Path in the Philippines
By Muntasir Minhaz • Published Aug 07, 2026 • Study in Southeast Asia
PMA and PNPA take Filipino high school graduates straight into a free 4-year cadetship that ends in a guaranteed officer commission. Both need a Grade 12 general average of at least 85%, a passing score on a written entrance exam, and clean physical, medical and character checks.
🎓 PMA accepts applicants aged 17 to 22 as of June 1 of your entry year, unmarried, Filipino, with an 85% GWA or higher.
PNPA runs its own Cadet Admission Test (PNPACAT) with the same GWA cutoff plus height and BMI standards.
💵 Neither academy charges an entrance exam fee, and both cover tuition and board for the full 4 years.
PMA graduates commission as second lieutenants in the armed forces. PNPA graduates commission as police lieutenants.
⏱️ Apply through each academy's official online portal. Exact intake dates shift every cycle, so check early.
What PMA and PNPA give a passing applicant
The Philippine Military Academy (PMA) in Baguio and the Philippine National Police Academy (PNPA) are the country's two service academies. Both run a 4-year residential program that combines a bachelor's degree with military or police training, and both cover tuition, food and lodging for the full course.
You do not apply the way you would to a regular university. Admission runs through a competitive entrance exam plus a series of physical, medical and character screenings, and only a set number of slots open each year.
The payoff for finishing is a guaranteed commission. PMA graduates enter the Armed Forces of the Philippines as second lieutenants or ensigns, and PNPA graduates enter the Philippine National Police as police lieutenants.
Neither path is a normal college experience. Expect a structured, disciplined daily schedule from day one, with a service bond attached once you commission.
PMA Entrance Exam (PMAEE)
To sit the PMA Entrance Examination , you must be a Filipino citizen, single, and between 17 and 22 years old as of June 1 of the year you enter. You need to have completed Grade 12 with a general weighted average of at least 85%, and you apply through the PMA Online Cadet Application System rather than by walking into the academy with paper forms.
The exam itself is free. Passing the written PMAEE does not guarantee a slot on its own. You move on to a Physical Fitness Test, a full medical and dental examination, an aptitude interview, and a final board deliberation before PMA confirms your place in the incoming cadet class.
Each stage disqualifies candidates, so a strong written score with a failed medical or fitness check still ends your application.
PNPA Cadet Admission Test (PNPACAT)
PNPA's equivalent is the PNPA Cadet Admission Test. Eligibility mirrors PMA on the academic side.
You need to be a senior high school graduate with a GWA of at least 85%, single and not previously married, and free of any criminal conviction. PNPA also applies physical standards on top of the academic ones: a minimum barefoot height (commonly cited around 5 feet 2 inches for male applicants and 5 feet for female applicants) and a body mass index within the normal range for your age and height.
PNPACAT passers go through the same layered screening as PMA applicants: written exam, physical fitness testing, medical and neuropsychiatric evaluation, and a panel interview. PNPA cadets earn a Bachelor of Science in Public Safety over 4 years and commission as police lieutenants with a guaranteed post in the PNP after graduation, which is a different route from applying to the police force as a regular recruit.
| Item | PMA | PNPA |
|---|---|---|
| Entrance exam | PMAEE | PNPACAT |
| Age at entry | 17 to 22 as of June 1 | Set by PNPA's own cycle, generally senior high school leaver age |
| Minimum GWA | 85% | 85% |
| Degree earned | Bachelor's degree tied to your service branch major | BS Public Safety |
| Commission | Second lieutenant or ensign, AFP | Police lieutenant, PNP |
| Program length | 4 years | 4 years |
NAPOLCOM Entrance Exam: joining without the cadetship
If you already hold a bachelor's degree, the 4-year cadet path is not your only way into the PNP officer corps. The National Police Commission (NAPOLCOM) administers its own entrance exam for applicants who are typically 21 to 30 years old and already have a college degree.
It tests communication skills, logical reasoning, quantitative reasoning and general knowledge, and passing it opens a direct entry route into the police service that skips the 4-year cadetship PNPA requires. This suits an older applicant who finished a regular degree first and decided on law enforcement afterward.
Physical, medical and character standards both academies enforce
Beyond height, weight and BMI, both academies run a full medical and dental clearance, a drug test, and a background check through the National Bureau of Investigation. A neuropsychiatric evaluation screens for conditions that would make cadet life or field duty unsafe. Any past criminal conviction, a dishonorable discharge from another service academy, or a positive drug test disqualifies you outright, regardless of how well you scored on the written exam.
The service bond after you commission
Free tuition and a guaranteed commission come with an obligation to serve. Both PMA and PNPA graduates owe a fixed number of years of active service in the armed forces or police force after commissioning, with the exact term and any conditions for early separation set by AFP and PNP service regulations rather than by the academies themselves. Factor this bond into your decision before you apply, since it commits you to a specific career path for years beyond graduation, not just to four years of schooling.
How to get ready to apply
Register on the official online portal as soon as the application window opens, since interview and testing slots fill up and late applicants get pushed to the back of the schedule. Keep a scanned copy of your PSA birth certificate and your Form 137 or Form 138 with your final GWA ready, since both academies process applications online rather than accepting walk-in paper submissions. For the written exam, focus your review on mathematics, reading comprehension, science and logical reasoning, the core areas both PMAEE and PNPACAT test.
Do not treat the physical fitness stage as an afterthought. Push-ups, sit-ups and a timed run disqualify otherwise strong candidates who show up unprepared for the fitness component.