1.1 Ghana Military Academy (GMA) Cadet Selection Overview & Regulations
Key Takeaways
The Officer Cadet Written Examination is the Aptitude Test Phase of GAF officer cadet enlistment, run through apply.mil.gh, and successful candidates enter the Ghana Military Academy (GMA) at Teshie.
Regular Cadets must be not less than 18 and not more than 26 years by Thursday 18 February 2027, unmarried, unbonded, and Ghanaian citizens by birth.
The Regular Commission requires a first degree not below Second Class Lower; most Short Service Commission streams cap age at 30, with higher limits for some professional streams.
Minimum heights are 1.68 m for males and 1.60 m for females, rising to 1.75 m and 1.70 m for the Military Police.
The 2026 e-voucher cost GH₵200, applications closed on Wednesday 23 September 2026, and the used voucher must be kept for inspection at every stage.
1.1 Ghana Military Academy (GMA) Cadet Selection Overview & Regulations
The Officer Cadet Written Examination is not a stand-alone certificate test. It is the Aptitude Test Phase of the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) officer cadet enlistment process, which GAF runs through its official enlistment portal, apply.mil.gh. Applicants who clear every phase are enlisted into the Ghana Military Academy (GMA) at Teshie, Accra, as officer cadets. Before you spend weeks on algebra and vocabulary, make sure you understand who may sit the test, how the application works, and which rules can disqualify you before you ever see the question paper.
Important
GAF republishes its requirements with every enlistment advertisement. The facts in this section come from the officer cadet pages of apply.mil.gh for the 2026 enlistment (2026/2027 intake), checked on 8 October 2026. Re-read the current advertisement before you apply.
Who Is an Officer Cadet?
The GAF portal defines an officer cadet as a person enlisted into the Ghana Military Academy to be trained to hold a position of leadership and command. An officer cadet is a subordinate officer: an Army Cadet, a Naval Cadet, or a Flight Cadet. The GMA therefore trains future officers for all three services: the Ghana Army, the Ghana Navy, and the Ghana Air Force.
The academy was founded on 1 April 1960. It grew out of the Regular Officers Special Training School (ROSTS), which was set up at the Military Academy and Training Schools (MATS), Teshie, in 1953. GMA's main course for regular officer cadets is the Regular Career Course (RCC), and each intake is numbered (for example, RCC Intake 65).
Commission Types on the 2026 Portal
The portal groups officer cadet vacancies into two commission types. Both sit the same selection phases, including the aptitude test.
| Pathway (portal name) | Typical applicant | Extra academic requirement | Published age rule |
|---|---|---|---|
| Regular Commission | Graduates entering for a full military career | A first degree not below Second Class Lower from an accredited university or institution, in a discipline listed for the chosen corps or branch | Regular Cadets: 18 to 26 years by Thursday 18 February 2027 |
| Short Service Commission | Experienced professionals such as engineers, IT specialists, health professionals, lawyers, chaplains and imams | Usually a master's degree or professional registration, plus work experience in the field | Most streams: not more than 30 years by 18 February 2027; higher limits for some streams (33 for pharmacists, 35 for medical officers, legal officers, chaplains and imams, 40 for medical and dental specialists) |
Corps and branch lists matter. A few Regular Commission examples from the portal:
- Infantry, Armour, Artillery and the Army Special Operations Brigade: any first degree not below Second Class Lower.
- Signals and Information Technology officers: degrees such as telecommunications engineering, computer science, electrical or electronic engineering, physics, mathematics, network engineering, or cyber security.
- Navy Executive Branch: degrees such as nautical science, mathematics, physics, chemistry, or another science discipline, and the candidate should have studied General Science (including elective mathematics, physics, and chemistry) at Senior High School.
General Eligibility for All Officer Cadet Applicants
According to the portal, an applicant must:
- Be a Ghanaian citizen by birth.
- Be of good character.
- Not be married (applies to Regular Cadets only).
- Not be bonded.
- Be not less than 18 and not more than 26 years by Thursday 18 February 2027 (applies to Regular Cadets only).
- Be medically fit by Ghana Armed Forces standards.
- Pass the Pre-Joining Fitness Test.
- Meet the minimum height: 1.68 m for males and 1.60 m for females. For the Military Police, the minimums are 1.75 m for males and 1.70 m for females.
The portal also states that proficiency in French, Spanish, Chinese, Arabic, German, or Swahili is highly desirable and an added advantage.
Academic baseline
| Certificate | Minimum listed on the portal |
|---|---|
| BECE | Six credits (grades 1 to 6) including English, Mathematics and Science |
| WASSCE | Six credits (A1 to C6) including Core English, Core Mathematics and Core Science |
| SSSCE | Six credits (A to D) including Core English, Core Mathematics and Core Science |
| GCE O Level and A Level | Five O Level credits (grades 1 to 6) including English Language and Mathematics, plus grades A to D in three A Level subjects |
Warning
The portal states that transcripts and attestations will not be accepted at the documentation stage. Plan to present the actual certificates.
How the 2026 Application Worked
- Buy the e-voucher. The electronic voucher cost GH₵200 and was sold at designated post offices in all 16 regions. GAF states that there are no authorised middlemen, that vacancies are not for sale, and that anyone who submits false documents will face arrest and prosecution.
- Log on during the window. The 2026 notice said the portal could be accessed from Friday 4 September 2026, and all online applications had to be submitted by Wednesday 23 September 2026. GAF recommended Mozilla Firefox or Google Chrome.
- Authenticate. Enter the card serial number and PIN, then select your Arm of Service and Type of Commission.
- Complete pages 1 to 3. Page 1 asks for the vacancy and your preferred screening centre. Page 2 asks for a passport photograph of 200 by 180 pixels, an email address and a mobile number. Page 3 asks for your Core Mathematics, Core English and Core Science results, WASSCE index number, certificate serial number, tertiary institution and graduating GPA or CWA, with uploads of the WASSCE certificate and degree certificate. Each scanned document must be PDF only and not exceed 1 MB.
- Submit and print. Submission triggers an email and text message with a unique system-generated identification number. Print the report, because shortlisted applicants must present it. Keep the used e-voucher: GAF says it will be inspected at every stage of the selection process.
Screening centres
| Screening centre | Applicants from these regions |
|---|---|
| Southern Centre (Accra) | Greater Accra, Eastern, Volta, Central, Oti, Western and Western North |
| Northern Centre (Kumasi) | Northern, Ashanti, Savannah, North East, Upper East, Upper West, Bono, Bono East and Ahafo |
Why These Rules Matter for the Written Exam
Only shortlisted applicants are invited to the selection phases, and the aptitude test comes after documentation and body selection. A candidate who is over age, uploads the wrong certificate, or loses the used e-voucher can be eliminated before the aptitude test, regardless of how well they would have scored. Treat the administrative checklist as part of your exam preparation, then spend your study hours on the four areas covered in Chapters 2 to 10.
According to the GAF enlistment portal for the 2026/2027 intake, what age rule applies to Regular Cadets?
At least 21 and not more than 30 years by 23 September 2026
Not less than 18 and not more than 26 years by Thursday 18 February 2027
Not more than 30 years by Thursday 18 February 2027
Not less than 17 and not more than 25 years on the day of the aptitude test
An applicant who lives in Techiman (Bono East Region) is completing page 1 of the 2026 online application. Which screening centre covers the Bono East Region?
Southern Centre (Accra)
Any garrison chosen by the applicant
Northern Centre (Kumasi)
The Ghana Military Academy at Teshie
What does GAF instruct applicants to do with the used electronic voucher after submitting the online application?
Keep it, because it will be inspected at every stage of the selection process
Destroy it to protect the PIN from misuse
Return it to the post office for a partial refund
Hand it to an approved recruitment agent for verification
Sections you finish are checked off in the contents.