Pak Army Initial Test Pattern 2026
The initial test is the stage that eliminates the largest number of Pakistan Army candidates — and the one that responds fastest to preparation. This page breaks the paper into its exact sections, explains how the intelligence blocks are scored, and gives you a 6-week plan that fits alongside physical training.
Test at a glance
Initial written test
Question counts, time limits and marking are restated in each intake's advertisement and can differ between officer and soldier entries. Treat the numbers below as the working pattern, not a fixed rule.
Who sits the Pak Army initial test?
Almost every entry route passes through this same written stage.
PMA Long Course
Male intermediate candidates take the full intelligence plus academic test. This is the most competitive version of the paper because the merit list is national.
AFNS & Lady Cadet Course
Female officer entries take the same test structure, with academic questions weighted toward the qualification the entry requires (FSc Pre-Medical for AFNS).
Soldier & technical entries
Soldier, clerk, cook and technician categories take a shorter paper with more emphasis on intelligence, basic English and trade-relevant maths.
Result-awaiting candidates
Many intakes allow result-awaiting candidates to appear, subject to submitting the final result later. Confirm this in the current advertisement.
How the test day runs
Knowing the sequence removes most of the pressure candidates report.
Documents & biometric check
Carry your registration slip, original CNIC or B-Form, academic certificates and passport-size photographs. Missing documents are the most common avoidable rejection at the gate.
Intelligence tests first
Verbal and non-verbal intelligence are usually administered before the academic paper, in short strictly-timed blocks with instructions read aloud. There is little time to re-check answers.
Academic paper
English, Mathematics and general knowledge follow in a single MCQ paper. Attempt the questions you recognise first and return to calculation-heavy items afterwards.
Same-day result
Most centres display or announce the initial test result the same day. Candidates who clear proceed straight to the physical and preliminary interview stage.
Repeat policy
A candidate who fails the initial test is generally not permitted to reappear for the same entry in the same cycle. Prepare properly for the first attempt.
Section-wise pattern and what each block asks
Working pattern based on recent intakes at Army Selection & Recruitment Centres.
Analogies, odd-one-out, coding-decoding, number and letter series, blood relations, direction sense and logical statements. Roughly 20–25 minutes.
Figure series, matrices, mirror and water images, embedded figures, rotation and paper-folding. Roughly 20–25 minutes.
Tenses, prepositions, articles, active/passive, synonyms and antonyms, sentence correction and one short comprehension passage.
Percentages, ratio and proportion, averages, profit and loss, simple algebra, HCF/LCM, basic geometry and mental arithmetic without a calculator.
Pakistan's geography and history, defence awareness, current affairs of the last 6–12 months, basic Islamiat and everyday science.
6-week preparation plan for the initial test
Split your day: one intelligence block, one academic subject, one physical session.
Weeks 1–2 — intelligence base
Learn each question type by name. Do 30 verbal and 30 non-verbal questions daily, untimed at first, then with a stopwatch. Keep an error log of the types you keep missing.
Weeks 1–3 — English rules
Work through tenses, prepositions, articles and voice, then add 15 high-frequency vocabulary words a day. Grammar rules pay off more than reading long passages.
Weeks 2–4 — speed maths
Drill percentages, ratios, averages and profit/loss mentally. Target under 40 seconds per question so the maths block never eats your English time.
Weeks 3–5 — general knowledge
Ten minutes of daily news plus a one-page notes sheet on Pakistan's geography, defence and recent appointments covers most of what is asked.
Week 5 — timed mixed sets
Switch to full-length timed papers under exam conditions. Review every wrong answer the same day; unreviewed mocks teach nothing.
Week 6 — taper & fitness
Reduce new material, revise your error log, and put the extra hours into running, push-ups and chin-ups for the physical stage that follows immediately.
Practise the exact paper you will sit
Tabir Academy's Armed Forces preparation course covers verbal and non-verbal intelligence drills, English and maths fundamentals, Pakistan-specific general knowledge and full-length timed mocks with explanations.
Have a voucher? Redeem it on the course page.
Join Pak Army guide
ISSB call letter & 4-day schedule
Online registration steps
PMA Long Course guide
Test-day checklist
Bring originals and photocopies. Candidates are turned away at the gate for incomplete documents every cycle.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Pak Army initial test pattern?
The initial test has two parts: an intelligence section (verbal and non-verbal, roughly 60–80 questions in strictly timed blocks) and an academic MCQ paper covering English, Mathematics and general knowledge with about 20–25 questions each. It is held at an Army Selection & Recruitment Centre and the result is usually announced the same day.
How many questions are in the Pak Army initial test?
Recent intakes have used roughly 120–160 questions in total across the intelligence and academic blocks, though counts differ between officer entries such as PMA Long Course and soldier or technical entries. The exact number is stated at the test centre.
Is there negative marking in the Pak Army initial test?
The marking scheme is announced per intake. Some centres apply negative marking on the academic paper. Prepare for both cases: answer confidently where you can eliminate options, and avoid blind guessing on questions you have not read.
How do I prepare for the verbal and non-verbal intelligence test?
Learn the recurring question types (series, analogies, coding-decoding, matrices, mirror images, embedded figures) and practise 30 of each daily under a stopwatch. Intelligence sections reward pattern recognition built through repetition, not last-minute study.
What maths topics come in the Pak Army test?
Percentages, ratio and proportion, averages, profit and loss, simple algebra, HCF and LCM, basic geometry and mental arithmetic. Calculators are not allowed, so speed matters as much as method.
How long should I prepare for the Pak Army initial test?
Six to eight focused weeks is enough for most intermediate candidates: daily intelligence practice, English and maths revision, a general knowledge habit and consistent physical training for the stage that follows.
What happens after I clear the initial test?
You move to the physical fitness test and preliminary interview at the same centre, then a detailed medical examination. Officer candidates who clear those stages receive an ISSB call letter.
Can I reappear if I fail the initial test?
Generally no — a candidate who fails the initial test is not permitted to reappear for the same entry in the same cycle. Some candidates become eligible again for a later intake or a different entry route if they still meet the age and education limits.