Last updated: 9 November 2026
Quick answer: ISSB (Inter Services Selection Board) is the four-to-five day residential assessment every officer candidate for the Pakistan Army, Navy and Air Force has to clear. You report on day one, sit intelligence and psychological tests, spend two days with the GTO (Group Testing Officer) doing group discussions, planning and outdoor tasks, face an interview with the Deputy President, and then the board meets in a final conference to decide whether you are Recommended or Not Recommended. There is no syllabus to memorise. They are judging your personality, not your marks.
Right now a lot of young men are waiting for or already holding ISSB call letters: candidates from PMA Long Course 159 (registration closed on 23 October 2026), PN Cadet 2027-A, and the PAF courses advertised in July 2026. If that’s you, this guide walks you through exactly what happens inside, in the order it usually happens, and what the assessors are actually looking for.
ISSB centres in Pakistan
Your call letter will name one of these centres. The process is the same everywhere.
| Centre | Location | Who usually goes there |
|---|---|---|
| ISSB Kohat | Kohat, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (also the headquarters) | Candidates from KP, upper Punjab, GB, AJK |
| ISSB Gujranwala | Gujranwala Cantt, Punjab | Most of central and north Punjab |
| ISSB Malir | Malir Cantt, Karachi | Sindh and southern Punjab |
| ISSB Quetta | Quetta Cantt, Balochistan | Balochistan and nearby districts |
Check your call letter twice for the centre name and reporting time. Every batch there are boys who travel to the wrong city or arrive after reporting closes. Both mistakes end your chance for that course.
What to carry to ISSB
- ISSB call letter and the roll number slip from your AS&RC, PNR&SC or PAF Selection Centre
- Original CNIC (or B-Form plus father’s CNIC if you are under 18)
- Original Matric and Intermediate (or graduation) certificates and DMCs, plus one set of photocopies
- Hope certificate if your result is awaited
- Several recent passport-size photographs
- Two pairs of plain shirts and trousers, one formal dress (shirt, tie, trousers, ideally a coat in winter), plain white sports shirt, black or blue shorts/trouser and good running shoes
- Toiletries, a small torch, blue/black pens and a simple watch
- Some cash for travel back home
Skip the flashy branded clothes and jewellery. Neat, simple and clean is the look you want.
ISSB schedule day by day
The exact order changes slightly between centres and batches, but this is the pattern most candidates go through.
Day 1: Reporting, documents and the written tests
You report in the morning, your documents are checked and you get a chest number. From this moment you are a number, and everything you do (how you queue, how you eat, how you treat the staff) is visible to someone. After a short briefing you fill a detailed biodata form. Take it seriously. The interviewer will open this form in front of you on day three or four, and anything you exaggerated will come back to bite you.
The written part of day one usually includes:
- Intelligence tests (verbal and non-verbal). Series, analogies, odd-one-out, coding, figure completion and pattern questions, done against the clock. They are similar to the initial test you already passed.
- Word Association Test (WAT). A word is flashed on the screen for a few seconds and you write the first meaningful sentence that comes to mind. Dozens of words, one after another, with no time to think.
- Sentence Completion Test (SCT). Incomplete sentences like “My father…” or “I feel nervous when…” that you complete quickly.
- Picture Story / Thematic test. A slightly unclear picture is shown, and you write a short story: what led to the situation, what is happening, and how it ends.
- Self Description. What your parents, teachers, friends and you yourself think of you, and what you would like to improve.
Day 2: GTO indoor and outdoor tasks
Your batch is split into groups of around 8 to 10 candidates, each with a GTO watching. Day two normally covers:
- Group Discussion. Usually two topics, often current affairs or social issues. You are not graded on how loud you are.
- Group Planning Exercise. A map-based problem (a flood, an accident, a terrorist threat, a sick person) that you first solve on paper, then discuss as a group to reach one plan.
- Progressive Group Task (PGT). Outdoor obstacles that get harder, solved as a group using planks, ropes and drums, with rules such as coloured “out of bounds” areas.
- Lecturette. You pick a topic from a card and speak for about three minutes in front of your group.
Day 3: More GTO tasks and interview
- Half Group Task (HGT). Like PGT, but your group is split in half, so there is nowhere to hide.
- Individual Obstacles. A circuit of obstacles with different points. You decide which ones to attempt in the given time. Smart choice matters as much as strength.
- Command Task. You become the commander, choose two or three helpers from your group and solve an obstacle. The GTO watches how you plan, explain and lead.
- Final Group Task. One last group obstacle to see who has grown over the two days.
- Interview with the Deputy President may happen today or on day four. It usually runs 20 to 40 minutes.
Day 4: Remaining interviews and final conference
Some candidates are seen by the psychologist for a short chat based on what they wrote on day one. Then the board, meaning the President, Deputy President, psychologist and GTO, holds the final conference. You go in front of them in formal dress, they may ask one or two questions, and that’s it. Results are given to you or sent shortly after, depending on the course.
What ISSB is really testing
Every activity points back to a handful of officer-like qualities. If you understand these, the whole board makes sense:
- Effective intelligence: can you solve a practical problem quickly, not just a textbook one?
- Reasoning and planning: do you think before you act?
- Social adjustment: do people want to work with you?
- Initiative and courage: do you step forward when things are unclear?
- Determination: do you keep going after a failed attempt?
- Sense of responsibility and honesty: are your words and actions the same?
The three assessors (psychologist, GTO and interviewer) each look at you from a different angle. If all three see the same person, you are consistent, and consistency is what gets recommended. That’s why acting or copying “model answers” usually fails.
Test-by-test tips that actually help
WAT and SCT
Write positive, practical and short sentences. For a word like “Failure”, something like “Failure in my first physics test made me revise daily” beats both a dark sentence and a filmy one like “Failure is the pillar of success”. Avoid making yourself the hero of every sentence. Mix “I” with family, society and Pakistan. And never leave a word blank. Write something simple and move on.
Picture Story
Give the main character a name, a problem and an action. Keep the ending realistic. Ten lines where a young man notices a fire in the neighbour’s house, calls Rescue 1122 and helps evacuate the kids is better than a superhero story.
Group Discussion
Speak early, but not first every time. Add one fresh point, give a real example, and bring others in (“Ahmed made a good point about…”). Never interrupt, never mock someone’s English. The GTO notices who keeps the group together.
Outdoor GTO tasks
Learn the basic rules before you go: what counts as “out of bounds”, which colours you can touch, and how helping material can be used. Then be active. A candidate who suggests a sensible idea, physically carries the plank and helps a weaker member over the drum usually scores higher than the one shouting instructions from the side.
Interview
Know your own biodata by heart: your marks, hobbies, friends, father’s profession, why you chose this service. Expect questions on current affairs, Pakistan’s neighbours, recent national events, and Islamic and Pakistan Studies basics. If you don’t know something, say “Sir, I don’t know” calmly. Bluffing is the fastest way out.
Common reasons candidates get Not Recommended
- Writing memorised “perfect” answers in WAT/SCT that don’t match their behaviour in the GTO.
- Over-dominating the group or staying completely silent.
- Lying in the biodata or interview (marks, sports achievements, leadership roles).
- Low stamina: giving up on obstacles or stopping mid-run.
- Poor general awareness: no idea who leads the country or what’s happening in the region.
- Rudeness to staff, other candidates or mess workers. Yes, it gets noticed.
A simple 21-day ISSB preparation plan
| Days | Focus | Daily routine |
|---|---|---|
| 1 to 7 | Fitness and self-understanding | Run 2 to 3 km, push-ups, sit-ups, chin-ups. Write your honest self description. Read one newspaper editorial. |
| 8 to 14 | Psychological tests | Practise 60 words of WAT and 50 SCT sentences on a timer. Write two picture stories. Get a parent or teacher to read them. |
| 15 to 21 | GTO and interview | Hold group discussions with friends, give a three-minute talk daily, revise current affairs and your biodata answers. Sleep on time. |
ISSB for each service: quick links
The board is the same, but the steps before and after it differ for each service. We have written separate guides:
- PMA Long Course 159: initial test, ISSB and merit (Pak Army)
- Join Pak Navy as PN Cadet 2027-A and 2027-B
- Join PAF as GD Pilot: eligibility and selection
- How to join Pak Army: every entry route explained
Frequently asked questions
How many days is the ISSB test?
Usually four days of assessment, sometimes five including reporting and departure. The schedule on your call letter is final.
Where are the ISSB centres in Pakistan?
Kohat (headquarters), Gujranwala, Malir (Karachi) and Quetta.
How many times can I appear in ISSB?
For PMA Long Course, a candidate who has been declared Not Recommended by ISSB twice is not eligible to apply again for the same type of commission. Use your attempts wisely.
Is ISSB conducted in English or Urdu?
Written tests are mostly in English. In group discussions and the interview you can usually speak Urdu, but basic English helps a lot.
Do I get my ISSB result on the last day?
Many candidates are told on the last day after the final conference. For some courses, results are conveyed later through the selection centre or online portal.
Can I prepare for ISSB at home without an academy?
Yes. Fitness, honest self-awareness, timed WAT/SCT practice, group discussions with friends and daily news reading cover most of what academies teach.