PMA Cadet Life: The Four-Year Programme at a Glance

PMA Cadet Life: The Four-Year Programme at a Glance

The Philippine Military Academy is where the Armed Forces of the Philippines trains its career officers. Before you sit the entrance exam, it's worth knowing what the next four years would look like.

PMA at a glance

• Location: Fort Gregorio del Pilar, Loakan, Baguio City
• Created: formally by Commonwealth Act No. 1 (the National Defense Act) on 21 December 1936; its roots go back to the Academia Militar founded in Malolos in 1898
• Programme: a four-year course leading to a Bachelor of Science degree — currently a BS in Management major in Security Studies under PMA's updated curriculum
• Core values: Honor, Service, Patriotism
• Tri-service academy since 1993: cadets take branch-specific courses (Army, Navy or Air Force) in the last two years
• Women have been admitted as cadets since 1993, under RA 7192

What the four years involve

PMA's mission is to develop each cadet's "character, the broad and basic military skills, and the education essential to the successful pursuit of a progressive military career." In practice that means a full academic degree and military training at the same time, in a residential academy with strict discipline and a demanding physical routine. The first two years are common to all cadets; the last two add training specific to your branch of service.

If you're preparing now, physical fitness matters from day one: even the entrance process includes a physical fitness test (a 3.2 km run, push-ups and sit-ups in 2026).

Pay and support during cadetship

Cadets receive a free college education, training and allowances. Under the 2026 pay schedule for uniformed personnel (EO 107, DBM NBC 600), a Cadet's monthly base pay is ₱40,284.

After graduation

Graduates are commissioned as officers in the AFP — Second Lieutenant in the Army or Air Force, or Ensign in the Navy — with 2026 monthly base pay of ₱46,020. PMA describes this as a guaranteed job after graduation. See PMA officer career and pay for the rank ladder.

Note that PMA graduates go to the AFP. If you want to become a police, fire or jail officer, that's the PNPA route — see PNPA vs PMA.

Is PMA right for you?

PMA suits you if you want a military career, can handle strict discipline and a residential programme away from home for four years, and are ready to train hard physically. It's less of a fit if you have a specific civilian career in mind, or family obligations that make four years in Baguio difficult. Remember the eligibility rules too: you must be single with no children, and 17 to 22 years old on the date of admission.

Where Super Tutor fits

The first step is the entrance exam. Super Tutor's PMAEE reviewer covers the mathematics, language proficiency and abstract reasoning chapters that map to the exam, plus PMA-specific chapters on PMA's organisation and cadet life, each in 11 study formats with practice quizzes, an AI tutor and a study planner. It doesn't have full PMAEE mock exams. Start free — 5-day trial, no card needed.

What to read next

The PMA entrance exam guide covers eligibility, the exam and a prep plan.