I want to join a cadet college in Pakistan, but I dont know which one to choose. I would like on that fits the following:
Is decently priced.
A college is good for people who want to enter the military after completion.
Has accomodation such as food and place to live.
My situation is that I am here in USA and I want to join the Pakistan Military and become an officer. I am told that to become an officer you have to be educated and physically fit…So I guess joining a cadet college will be good since I can get a degree and be in shape.
One bad thing is that I cant speak urdu…but I can understand most of it.
*Should I stay in PK for a year and learn urdu then join?
The Cadet Colleges you are talking about are there for doing your FSc, which is equivalent to your high school degree in the US, so they are not really colleges. The only place where you could go in Pakistan (assuming you have completed your high school) would be either Pakistan Military Academy Kakul, or you can join the army through E&ME, Signals. If youre more into academics, the latter would suit you. Bear in mind that joining the army in Pakistan is not a joke. I too was a civilian student in NUST, but I had the pleasure of seeing so many GCs in my class going through the tough 'ragra' and bailing out after a few days. About the Urdu thing I am not really sure, but I think as long as you can speak and understand it fluently, you should be fine. There wasnt any course in E&ME college which we had to do in Urdu, except religious studies, but you have the option of taking the exams in English. I am sure most instructors in PMA wouldnt object to that either.
I would love to go to the PMA. What is required to get in? Yes I have completed High School. My goal is to be educated and work for pakistan military, doing ordnance work, such as designing new artillery or working the POF.
I need some more information with you. Do you want to get into the academic side of the military or want to become a good soldier? Remember, in the academics corps, such as EME and Signals, promotions are less frequent, so you wont see as many Generals from such corps, when compared to Artillary and Infantry. From what I have gathered from your posts, you want to goto the PMA and you want to get into Tank Logistics and Development, so EME is out of the question, even though they have some nice development of Al-Khalids still going on at HIT taxila.
You mentioned three points in your first post, let me also answer those..
Pt No. 1 You wont have to pay a thing in PMA, infact you will get a monthly salary, which is about Rs. 3800 I believe
Pt No. 2 You will already be in the military by the time you complete
Pt No. 3 Accomodation at PMA is nice, there is even a famous swimming pool there, and I am sure you will get hands on experience with that once you get there
im also more towards the military side rather than academic. I like working with firearms. So I plan on getting a mechanical engineering degree. But at the same time I dont want to be at a desk all day.
Can you give some advice what steps I shoudl take.
If you plan on getting the mechanical engineering degree, you have two choices… Either you ought to join the Engineering Corps, or the E&ME college as a Technical Cadet. The latter would be better in my opinion as not only would it make you a soldier, but it would also yeild a degree from Pakistans best university, which also happens to be Asia’s 20th according to AsiaWeek. For more information, you might want to visit these two websites. Mechanical engineering has the most technical cadets as the army needs more mechanical engineers, compared to electronics, computer and other disciplines.
Now From what I heard, its realllyyy hard to get into PMA which is where people go to become an officer. So I was told that they only accept people who are educated and have a degree. Thats why I mentioned mechanincal engineering.
When you enter PMA, do they educate you like a regular college or what? This is what im confused on.....What goes on besides physical training, like what other stuff do they teach you thats is so valuable it makes you an officer.
If I dont have to get a degree to enter PMA or to be accepted, then I dont want to get it.
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*Originally posted by attackistan: *
SAlaam, ok this is what im aiming for:
I want to be in Pakistan Military
I want to be an officer
Now From what I heard, its realllyyy hard to get into PMA which is where people go to become an officer. So I was told that they only accept people who are educated and have a degree. Thats why I mentioned mechanincal engineering.
When you enter PMA, do they educate you like a regular college or what? This is what im confused on.....What goes on besides physical training, like what other stuff do they teach you thats is so valuable it makes you an officer.
If I dont have to get a degree to enter PMA or to be accepted, then I dont want to get it.
Here is where I am:
I am 19 years.
I have Pakistani nationality through my parents
I cant speak urdu, I cant understand half of it.
I have my high school diploma
So what do I do now?
thanks!
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Attackistan, in PMA you enter after the FSc (which is equivalent to your high school), so there is no point in joining the PMA after obtaining a 2 or 4 year mechanical engineering degree. I think you got confused with the mechanical engineering degree I was talking about at E&ME college. You see, E&ME college is just like PMA, except that E&ME makes soldiers that are more academic oriented, whereas PMA makes better soldiers. Plus, PMA long course is 2yrs I believe, and E&ME is 4 years. But when youre done with the four year degree at E&ME, you still have to go to PMA as a Captain. From what I have gathered, it would be better for you (in academic sense) to goto PMA then, since you do not want to go for the 4 yr degree, especially if you dont need it. Btw, do you know anything about the ISSB, as its part of the entrance criterea? If not, let me know, and Ill send you the details on that too.
you can also go the other route and go into aeronautical engineering with PAF. getting in is very tough, I still remember the phainti we had during selection.
Urdu is critical, although majority of the instruction is in english, your drill instructors will kick your butt in urdu.
getting into any cadet college without a decent command of urdu is just calling for one's own shammat..the seniors may make you their khilona for ragging.
yep so go for the ISSB test. dunno where the tests are for PMA, but for PAF the tests used to be at gujranwaala, they also did tests at places like kohat and masroor bases.
what to expect..
first level- physical
u have to pass a physical at a recruitment center. if you pass and they think u are a good candidate they will ask you to go for ISSB test at a base.
ISSB test
spread over a number of days, u will be kept in observation, you will do physical challenge course, and team building exercises, while being monitored. you will have interviews. They basically are looking at ability, commitment, intelligence and teamwork.
aside from the usual running and jumping and what nots, the challenge courses are the fun, tough and tricky part
u have to climb up, swing on a rope and start climbing on the rope as it swing so u can pas sover an obstacle otherwise u will hit it and not pass..many ppl do not pass it
another key one is when u have to cross over a course on wood plank and have to move and reuse the plank to cross over the next part of the course.
another one is fitting a dozen_+ ppl on a 3 feet X 3 feet block.
u have hearing tests and vision tests etc as well
this is how it was in the late 80's. it may have changed by now
umm acceptance rates are low. To be honest there is a high chance of you going to Pakistan and failing.
what can you do..be in a great physical shape for one, and they look for people with confidence, good communications skills, teamwork and leadership skills. so if your vision is 20/20 and u are in excellent physical shape otherwise and no defects, u have the physical part sorted, the other characteristics then come into play.
going from here u will be at a disadvantage because you may stick out like a sore thumb with your inability to speak in urdu properly.
Mr. Fraudia, I see you have censored some parts of the ISSB test :)
As for PAF, I think attackistan wants to join the army, but then again, now PAF Risalpur is also part of NUST, so thats also a good idea, but the ragra over there is too harsh, I heard they dont even spare the civil (nustian) cadets there!
spock, those parts of the physical are fairly well known :D
I ended up not joining PAF, because my eyesight was weak and i could not be a GD Pilot but was accepted in the aeronautical engineering program, but ended up not joining.
I do want to join a military, heck no to USA's ...although you can get educated here with military and get benefits and money....but as for Pakistans military if you wanted the same stuff, you would have to become an officer....and doesnt seem like im fit for it.
There are many in Pakistan who dont make it on the first try, question is, are you willing to go all the way to Pakistan for the test, I mean can you afford the trip, bearing in mind that there is a possibility you will have to come back?
[QUOTE]
*Originally posted by Spock: *
There are many in Pakistan who dont make it on the first try, question is, are you willing to go all the way to Pakistan for the test, I mean can you afford the trip, bearing in mind that there is a possibility you will have to come back?
[/QUOTE]
this is something I cant risk because of time and money. One more thing, is there any alternative to this? What I understand is that only Officers are the ones who are treated when it comes to the military. Is it possible I can get a degree in mech eng. and join military and have a nice job and descent pay?
But then again I want to be more military, more shooting , more tactics and all that.
Also what about working for POF? pakistan ordnance factory
There are exceptions. I remember our instructor, Brig. Fayooz-ur-Rehman, who was inducted into the army as a Major, because the army wanted him badly. I am going to PM you the email addresses of a friend of mine, who was Cadet and has good insight as to how to get into the armed forces.