PMA entrance exam set in Visayas on August 23-24

THE Philippine Military Academy (PMA) announced that the PMA Entrance Examination (PMAEE) for applicants in the Visayas will be held on August 23 and 24, 2025, starting at 7 a.m.

The exams will be conducted in Iloilo City, Bacolod City, Dumaguete City, Cebu City, Catbalogan City, Tacloban City, Tagbilaran City, Kabankalan City, Naga City, and Legazpi City.

According to Philippine Army (PA) Lieutenant Colonel Louie Steve Kilakil, team leader for the 2025 PMA Entrance Examination in Iloilo City, the testing center will be at Iloilo City National High School in Molo District this Saturday and Sunday.

Kilakil is accompanied by Staff Sergeant Luisito Ramirez of the Philippine Army and Chief Petty Officer Ariel Jarata of the Philippine Navy.

“The exam will cover English, Math, and Abstract Reasoning,” Kilakil said.

He added that all applicants are required to wear a white T-shirt, long pants, and closed shoes during the processing and examination. Applicants are also encouraged to bring their own food and drinks.

Processing of applicants will begin at 7 a.m., followed by the examination at 12 noon. Regular applicants must bring a printed exam permit with their latest 2x2 picture (white background), one extra 2x2 picture, and a valid identification card such as a school ID, driver’s license, or national ID.

Walk-in applicants may register starting at 6 a.m. They must present a duly accomplished application form, a photocopy of their PSA birth certificate, a photocopy of their SHS Form 137 or 138 with at least an 85 percent GPA or GWA, two latest 2x2 pictures with a white background, and a valid ID.

All examinees are required to use a #2 pencil during the examination.

“More than 467 individuals have already been validated online and through mail to take the exam in Iloilo City. We are expecting around 300 walk-in examinees to be present at the center this Saturday and Sunday,” Kilakil said.

The PMA reiterated the benefits of becoming a cadet, which include a free college education, training and billeting facilities, allowances under Salary Grade 18, and a guaranteed career in the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) after graduation.

To qualify, applicants must be natural-born or naturalized Filipino citizens, physically fit, and of good moral character. They must never have been married, pregnant, or legally obliged to support a child.

Candidates must be at least high school graduates (Grade 12) with a general average of 85 percent or higher and with no administrative or criminal case.

Applicants must also meet the age requirement: not less than 17 years old and not older than 22 years old on the date of admission. Male and female applicants must have a barefoot height of not less than 5 feet and not more than 6 feet 4 inches.

Qualified candidates must successfully complete several stages: the PMA Entrance Examination, a comprehensive physical and medical assessment by the AFP Medical Board, a physical fitness test, a neuro-psychiatric interview, an aptitude interview, and other examinations for service suitability.

“Best of the best,” Kilakil said, noting that about 30,000 examinees across the country take the exam each year, with only around 300 admitted to the academy.

"For all the young aspirants of Panay Island, if you want to take the challenge to become a PMA cadet, we will be conducting the examination this Saturday and Sunday. As early as 6 a.m., you may proceed to the exam center. You may choose to join either the Saturday batch or the Sunday batch. You are highly encouraged. You can take the challenge and become a PMA cadet," Kilakil said on Aug 21, 2025, at the press conference at the 3rd Division Public Affairs Office (3DPAO) at Camp Martin Delgado, Fort San Pedro, Iloilo City.

Meanwhile, exams in the NCR and Regions 4A-B will be held on September 6 and 7, 2025, in Pasay City, Quezon City, Taguig City, Laguna, Lipa City, Lucena City, Cavite City, Puerto Princesa City, San Jose, Mindoro, and Marikina City.

For Central and North Luzon, the exams will be conducted on September 20 and 21, 2025, in Laoag City; Tuguegarao City; Bontoc, Mt. Province; Baguio City; Lingayen, Pangasinan; Cabanatuan City; Tarlac City; Pampanga; Tabuk City, Kalinga; Cauayan City, Isabela; and Baler, Aurora. (Leo Solinap/SunStar Philippines)