1.1 GAF Recruitment Process, Eligibility & Selection Phases
Key Takeaways
The GAF enlistment portal lists eight recruit (Other Ranks) phases: initial documentation, body selection, aptitude test, trade test, documentation, medical examination, vetting and receipt of an appointment letter.
The 2025/2026 recruit rules required Ghanaian citizenship by birth, an age of 18–25 for Non-Tradesmen (up to 27 for Tradesmen) by 30 December 2025, and no marriage or bond.
Minimum heights are 1.68 m for males and 1.57 m for females, rising to 1.75 m and 1.70 m for Military Police applicants.
Army WASSCE candidates may hold up to D7 in English and Mathematics, while Navy and Air Force candidates need C6 in all six subjects.
The recruit e-voucher costs GH₵200 at designated post offices, and GAF states there are no authorised middlemen.
1.1 GAF Recruitment Process, Eligibility & Selection Phases
The Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) recruits soldiers, ratings and airmen into the Other Ranks through an annual enlistment exercise. A successful applicant joins the Ghana Army as a Private, the Ghana Navy as an Ordinary Seaman, or the Ghana Air Force as an Aircraftman. The written aptitude test is only one gate in this process. Applicants who prepare well for the paper but ignore the eligibility rules or the order of the phases can still be screened out, so this section sets out what the official enlistment portal actually says.
All facts here come from the GAF enlistment portal (apply.mil.gh) and from official GAF news releases. Rules can change from one advertisement to the next, and the portal itself warns that "age requirements for application depends on advertisement". Always read the current advertisement before you buy a voucher.
What a Recruit Is and What Training Covers
The portal defines a recruit as "an individual undergoing basic military training to become a soldier". Recruit training in the GAF lasts six months and is described as both physically and psychologically intensive. The portal lists eight training subjects:
- Physical Training
- Drill
- Skill at Arms
- Navigation
- Watermanship
- Military Tactics
- Field Craft
- Voice Procedure
Applicants choose an Arm of Service (Army, Navy or Air Force) and a trade type: Non-Tradesmen or Tradesmen. Tradesmen are applicants who enlist with a recognised trade qualification, and they face an extra phase (the Trade Test) described below.
Applying: Voucher, Portal and Summary Sheet
- Buy an e-voucher. The portal states that the electronic voucher costs GH₵200.00 and is sold at designated post offices in every region.
- Log on to the recruit portal. Enter the card serial number, PIN code and a valid contact number, then select the Arm of Service and the trade type.
- Complete and submit carefully. The portal warns that once application details are submitted, the information cannot be changed. An application is saved only when you click submit, and a card used for a submitted application cannot be reused.
- Print the summary sheet. Applicants with a qualified summary sheet can track their application online. Keep the used voucher and the printed sheet, because the application guide says the voucher is inspected at every stage.
Warning
GAF states that it is an equal opportunity employer, that there are no authorised middlemen, and that vacancies are not for sale. Anyone posing as an agent will be prosecuted, and anyone who submits false documents faces arrest and prosecution.
General Eligibility (Recruit Advertisement)
The recruit eligibility page in force for the 2025/2026 exercise lists these requirements:
| Requirement | Official rule |
|---|---|
| Citizenship | Ghanaian citizen by birth |
| Character | Of good character |
| Age | 18 to 25 years for Non-Tradesmen and not more than 27 years for Tradesmen, by 30 December 2025 |
| Health | Medically fit by Armed Forces standards |
| Status | Not married and not bonded |
| Height (general) | Minimum 1.68 m (5 ft 6 in) for males and 1.57 m (5 ft 2 in) for females |
| Height (Military Police) | Minimum 1.75 m (5 ft 9 in) for males and 1.70 m (5 ft 7 in) for females |
| BECE route | Six credits (not lower than Grade 6) including English and Mathematics |
| WASSCE route | Six passes: up to D7 in English and Mathematics plus four other passes for Army candidates; C6 in all subjects for Navy and Air Force candidates |
| Trade route | The requisite credits or passes in trade qualifications from the Ghana Education Service at Intermediate or Advanced level |
Notice the difference between the services. A WASSCE candidate with D7 in Core English could meet the Army rule but not the Navy or Air Force rule, which demands C6 in every subject.
The Eight Official Selection Phases (Other Ranks)
The portal page "The Recruitment Phases – Other Ranks" says all shortlisted applicants proceed through these phases:
| Order | Phase | What the portal says happens |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Initial Documentation | Qualified applicants bring their original documents for documentation |
| 2 | Body Selection | Applicants are physically examined to ensure their physical look conforms to Armed Forces standards |
| 3 | Aptitude Test | An examination for all applicants "to know their level of basic logical reasoning capabilities" |
| 4 | Trade Test | Applies to applicants enlisting as tradesmen |
| 5 | Documentation | A further documentation stage |
| 6 | Medical Examination | An intensive medical examination at the 37 Military Hospital for everyone who has qualified to this stage |
| 7 | Vetting | Background vetting |
| 8 | Receipt of Appointment Letter | Successful applicants receive appointment letters |
The order matters. In the 2025/2026 exercise, screening (documentation and body selection) began on 20 November 2025. The Eastern Naval Command at Tema was one of five screening centres in the Greater Accra Region. GAF then reported that applicants who passed documentation and body selection wrote the aptitude test on Saturday 29 November 2025 at centres across the country, and it described the test as "the second stage of screening".
Caution
On 12 November 2025, before screening was due to start, a crowd surge at the El-Wak Sports Stadium in Accra killed six applicants, according to GAF. When the exercise resumed, applicants reported only after receiving official messages. Go only to the centre, date and batch named in your own invitation, and follow the instructions of the soldiers controlling the crowd.
After Selection: Recruit Training Schools
Successful applicants begin the six-month training at their service's schools. Official GAF sources name these schools:
- Army Recruit Training School (ARTS), Shai Hills. ARTS has trained Army recruits at Shai Hills since 1991. On 25 September 2026, 646 recruits completed Basic Infantry Training Course 1-26 there. Army recruits also pass out from other Army schools, such as the Armour Training School at Liberation Barracks, Sunyani.
- Naval Training Command (NAVTRAC), which trains Navy personnel.
- Air Force Recruit Training School (AFRTS), Air Force Base Takoradi. Recruit Course 1/2026 passed out there on 25 September 2026.
Preparation Checklist
- Read the current advertisement and confirm your age, height and grades before buying a voucher.
- Keep originals and copies of your certificates, your printed summary sheet and the used voucher together.
- Prepare for the written test early: it comes after body selection, so there is little time to start studying once screening begins.
- Treat every phase as a separate pass/fail gate. A strong aptitude score cannot rescue a failed medical or vetting.
On the GAF enlistment portal's list of recruit selection phases, which phase comes immediately after Body Selection?
Medical Examination at the 37 Military Hospital
Vetting
Aptitude Test
Receipt of Appointment Letter
Under the 2025/2026 recruit eligibility rules, what is the lowest WASSCE grade accepted in English and Mathematics for Army candidates?
D7
C6
B3
E8
What does the GAF enlistment portal say about the recruit e-voucher?
It costs GH₵350 and is bought through approved recruitment agents
It is free to download from the recruitment portal
It can be reused for a second application after submission
It costs GH₵200 and is sold at designated post offices
Sections you finish are checked off in the contents.