Quick Overview! Interpretation of 2026 Military Academy Enrollment Policies — Everything You Want to Know Is Right Here →

Interpretation of 2026 Military Academy Enrollment Policies

— A Senior Official from the Military Education Bureau of the CMC Training and Management Department Answers Reporters' Questions

■ Wang Xiao, PLA Daily Reporter Li Lin, Zhang Lin, and Special Correspondent Wu Xu

I. Military Academy Enrollment of Ordinary Senior High School Graduates

1. What are the characteristics of this year's military academy enrollment of ordinary senior high school graduates?

Answer: In 2026, 22 military academies plan to enroll approximately 17,500 ordinary senior high school graduates from all 31 provinces and municipalities nationwide. The main characteristics are as follows: First, the through-train cultivation (贯通培养) of growing-cadre officers (生长军官) is being deployed — during the undergraduate education phase, cadets will consolidate their scientific, cultural, military-political, and professional foundations, with emphasis on cultivating command literacy (指挥素养) and strengthening long-term development potential, laying a solid foundation for pre-assignment training in the force; second, targeted cultivation of political officers is being strengthened, consolidating and building the political officer corps of our military from the source; third, relying on 3 military medical universities, an integrated "5+3" cultivation program in clinical medicine is being conducted to cultivate and forge a high-quality, specialized medical support force. The number of enrolling institutions this year remains consistent with last year at 22, comprising: 1 directly under the Central Military Commission (CMC), 5 under the Army, 5 under the Navy, 4 under the Air Force, 1 under the Rocket Force, 1 under the PLA Strategic Support Force Space Systems Department (军事航天部队), 1 under the Cyberspace Force (网络空间部队), 1 under the Information Support Force (信息支援部队), 1 under the Joint Logistic Support Force, and 2 under the People's Armed Police Force. At the same time, relying on the distinctive and advantageous disciplines and specializations of military academies, talent cultivation in emerging technology fields will continue.

For details, click → 2026 Military Academy Enrollment Plan

2. What are the basic requirements for applying to military academies?

Answer: In accordance with the Measures for Military Academies to Enroll Ordinary Senior High School Graduates jointly issued by the Ministry of Education and relevant CMC departments in December 2023, ordinary senior high school graduates applying to military academies must meet the following conditions: unmarried; as of August 31 of this year, no younger than 16 years of age and no older than 20 years of age; physical fitness test scores during the senior high school phase must reach a passing grade or above; must have taken this year's National College Entrance Examination (普通高等学校招生全国统一考试), and the gaokao score must reach the province's special-category enrollment control line or the first-tier (一本) line. Both current-year and prior-year senior high school graduates may apply.

3. What is the application process for military academies?

Answer: There are five main steps: ① Political review (政治考核) — applicants participate in political review in accordance with the requirements of the military service organ (兵役机关) at their place of household registration, habitual residence, or place of application; ② Filling in preferences (填报志愿) — applicants fill in their preferences in accordance with the gaokao enrollment requirements of their respective province, autonomous region, or directly administered municipality; ③ Setting the military examination threshold (划设军检线) — the provincial military district (省军区) enrollment work office, in conjunction with the provincial enrollment committee office, sets the military examination threshold at 3 to 5 times the enrollment plan quota and publishes it to the public; ④ Interview and physical examination — applicants who have filled in military academy preferences and have reached the military examination threshold participate in interviews and physical examinations in accordance with the requirements of the local provincial military district enrollment work office; ⑤ File submission and enrollment (投档录取) — applicants who have passed the political review, interview, and physical examination, and whose scores have reached the file-submission score line (提档分数线) of their preferred institution, will have their files submitted by the provincial enrollment committee office in the early-batch (提前批次) in descending order of scores; enrollment is confirmed after the institution reviews and approves the files. Those whose files are not submitted or who are not enrolled may participate in subsequent regular-batch (普通批次) file submission.

4. What does the political review primarily assess?

Answer: The political review primarily assesses the applicant's own political and ideological conduct, as well as the political background and criminal record of family members and siblings not living together. The main procedure is as follows: after the gaokao, applicants fill out a political review form, which is submitted by the school through the local county, district, or municipal education department to the local military service organ; the military service organ, in conjunction with the public security organ, organizes the political review and renders a conclusion, which is reported up through successive levels to the provincial military district enrollment work office, which then provides it to the provincial enrollment committee office. For detailed content and requirements, applicants should follow information released by local relevant departments.

5. What aspects does the interview generally assess?

Answer: The interview is specifically organized and conducted by the provincial military district enrollment work office, and primarily assesses the applicant's motivation for applying, value orientation, personal growth experience, social support and communication, adaptability to the environment, as well as logical thinking and verbal expression abilities. After the interview is completed, the interview conclusion is communicated to the interviewee on the spot by the interview staff. If the interviewee has objections to the interview conclusion, they may request a review on the spot; the review conclusion is the final conclusion.

6. What are the requirements regarding vision, height, weight, and similar factors for applying to military academies?

Answer: Military academy enrollment of ordinary senior high school graduates is governed by the Physical Examination Standards for the Selection of Officers and Civilian Personnel by the Military. The general standards for vision, height, and weight are: ① Vision — bare-eye visual acuity of no less than 4.5 in either eye; ② Height — males 162 cm or above, females 158 cm or above; ③ Weight — body mass index between 17.5 and 30 for males, and between 17 and 24 for females.

For details, click → Physical Examination Standards for Military Academy Enrollment of Ordinary Senior High School Graduates

7. What are the main differences between the "5+3" integrated program and the eight-year program at the 3 military medical universities?

Answer: Cadets in the "5+3" integrated program who qualify at the undergraduate stage are directly advanced to the master's degree cultivation stage, simultaneously completing standardized residency training (住院医师规范化培训) while enrolled; upon graduation they are awarded a master's degree and the rank of second lieutenant (中尉). Cadets in the eight-year program who qualify at the undergraduate stage are directly advanced to the doctoral degree cultivation stage; upon graduation they are awarded a doctoral degree and the rank of captain (上尉), but must still complete standardized residency training after graduation.

8. How can one inquire about military academy enrollment information?

Answer: In order to allow all applicants and their parents to obtain comprehensive and accurate information about military academy enrollment, the CMC's enrollment business department has established the "军校招生" (Military Academy Enrollment) WeChat official account to release and update all types of enrollment information in a timely manner. Applicants may also obtain relevant information through the official websites or WeChat official accounts of provincial enrollment committee offices, military academy enrollment institutions, and provincial military district enrollment work offices. Military academy enrollment strictly implements the Ministry of Education's "Sunshine Enrollment" (阳光招生) policy; there are no so-called out-of-plan quotas or internal quotas. Applicants and parents must absolutely not trust anyone who promises to guarantee enrollment, in order to prevent financial losses and, more importantly, to avoid affecting applicants' normal application process.

II. Military Academy Enrollment of Soldier Candidates (士兵学员)

1. Please provide a general overview of this year's military academy enrollment plan quotas for soldier candidates.

Answer: In order to adapt to developments and changes in the construction of new-type combat forces (新型作战力量) and the composition and structure of personnel, and based on the needs for selecting and supplementing officers (警官) and for training non-commissioned officers (军士/警士), this year 23 military academies plan to enroll approximately 3,000 full-time undergraduate education cadets for growing-cadre officers (警官), and 29 military academies plan to enroll approximately 12,000 vocational and technical education cadets for non-commissioned officers (军士/警士).

2. Please provide a general overview of this year's associate-degree-to-bachelor's-degree non-commissioned officer (军士/警士) vocational and technical education program.

Answer: In order to meet the demand for non-commissioned officer talent in combat readiness and warfighting and in key positions in new-domain, new-quality forces (新域新质力量), the pilot associate-degree-to-bachelor's-degree non-commissioned officer (军士/警士) vocational and technical education program will continue this year, with 23 military academies arranging 43 specializations to enroll 1,333 cadets.

3. How can academic subject examination scores be queried?

Answer: Examination scores are expected to be released at the end of June or early July. At that time, soldier candidates may log in to the "Military Academy Enrollment Information Platform" on the Qiangjun Network (强军网) using their ID number and candidate number to query their scores. If a soldier candidate has doubts about their queried score, they may submit a review application to the enrollment business department of their division- or regiment-level unit on the day the scores are released; applications are consolidated at successive levels and the review is organized by the CMC enrollment business department. Score review primarily checks whether the soldier candidate's information is consistent with the relevant information on the answer sheet, whether the scanned image of the answer sheet is clear and complete, whether there are any missed evaluations, and whether there are any errors in score tabulation and calculation. The reviewed score is the final score.

4. How do soldier candidates fill in their preferences?

Answer: After scores are released, preferences are filled in through the "Military Academy Enrollment Information Platform" on the Qiangjun Network, combining individual choice with organizational arrangement. Candidates applying for full-time undergraduate education for growing-cadre officers (警官) may fill in 3 preferences, except for the military cultural work specialization and the option to switch to non-commissioned officer (军士/警士) vocational and technical education (associate degree). Candidates applying for non-commissioned officer (军士/警士) vocational and technical education (associate degree) may fill in 1 preference, which must be the same as or similar to their current specialization, in addition to a transfer preference (调剂志愿). Candidates applying for associate-degree-to-bachelor's-degree non-commissioned officer (军士/警士) vocational and technical education may fill in 1 preference and may not be transferred (调剂). All soldier candidates should fully understand the methods and requirements for filling in preferences, complete the process on time, and be responsible for the authenticity and accuracy of the content they submit.

5. How is the file-submission plan formulated for soldier candidates applying for full-time undergraduate education for growing-cadre officers (警官)?

Answer: The file-submission plan for soldier candidates applying for full-time undergraduate education for growing-cadre officers (警官) (excluding military cultural work-related specializations) is formulated by each department and unit based on enrollment plan quotas, candidate preferences, and physical examination conclusions, ranking candidates from highest to lowest by the combined total of three items — military common subject (军事共同科目) examination scores, academic subject examination scores, and policy bonus points — using a parallel preferences (平行志愿) method. If candidates have the same total score, comparison is made first by military common subject examination score, then by academic subject examination score, and then successively by scores in Chinese, mathematics, English, comprehensive military-political knowledge (军政知识综合), and comprehensive scientific knowledge (科学知识综合). Those who cannot be submitted according to their preferences but who agree to be transferred may be transferred; those who do not agree to be transferred will not have their files submitted. Each department and unit submits files to institutions at 100% of the enrollment plan quota. For candidates applying to military cultural work-related specializations at the National Defense University's College of Arts (国防大学军事文化学院), candidates must go to the institution to take a specialization examination; for specific examination arrangements and enrollment rules, see the enrollment prospectus and work plan issued by the National Defense University's College of Arts.

6. What are the requirements for file submission for candidates applying for non-commissioned officer (军士/警士) vocational and technical education?

Answer: The file-submission rules for candidates applying for non-commissioned officer (军士/警士) vocational and technical education are determined separately by the enrollment business departments of each department and unit. Among these: those who switch from applying for full-time undergraduate education for growing-cadre officers (警官) to non-commissioned officer (军士/警士) vocational and technical education (associate degree), and those recommended for non-commissioned officer (军士/警士) vocational and technical education (associate degree) with exemption from academic subject examinations, are counted within the non-commissioned officer (军士/警士) vocational and technical education enrollment plan quota; those directly enrolled and those in targeted cultivation (定向培养) as non-commissioned officers (军士/警士) who apply for full-time undergraduate education for growing-cadre officers (警官) may not switch to non-commissioned officer (军士/警士) vocational and technical education of equivalent academic standing (同等学力); those applying for full-time undergraduate education for growing-cadre officers (警官) may not switch to associate-degree-to-bachelor's-degree non-commissioned officer (军士/警士) vocational and technical education.

7. Under what circumstances may bonus points be applied?

Answer: Soldier candidates applying for full-time undergraduate education for growing-cadre officers (警官) may receive bonus points if they personally have received a third-class combat merit citation (三等战功), a second-class merit citation (二等功), or a third-level commendation (三级表彰) or higher; have served for a specified number of years in units stationed in special regions (驻特殊地区部队); or if their parents are martyrs (烈士) or died in the line of duty (因公牺牲), have received a second-class combat merit citation (二等战功) or higher, have been publicized as a major model (重大典型), have served for a specified number of years in units stationed in special regions or in special positions (特殊岗位), or are currently active-duty military personnel.

Soldier candidates applying for non-commissioned officer (军士/警士) vocational and technical education may receive bonus points if they personally have received a fourth-class combat merit citation (四等战功), a third-class merit citation (三等功), or a third-level commendation (三级表彰); have served for a specified number of years in units stationed in special regions; have obtained a corresponding national or military vocational skills level or professional technical title certification; have served as squad leader (班长) or deputy squad leader (副班长) for a specified number of years; or if their parents have served for a specified number of years in units stationed in special regions or in special positions, or are currently active-duty military personnel.

Candidates applying for associate-degree-to-bachelor's-degree non-commissioned officer (军士/警士) vocational and technical education are not subject to policy bonus points.

8. What aspects does the file review for soldier candidates primarily cover?

Answer: File review for soldier candidates is conducted by the enrollment business department in conjunction with the file management department. Review content includes candidate materials such as the soldier candidate examination approval report form (士兵考学审批报告表), service materials such as the conscript induction approval document (应征公民入伍批准书), and other materials such as graduation certificates. The file review primarily examines whether the candidate's qualifications meet the conditions, whether the candidate's file is complete, whether the candidate's information is internally consistent, and whether the file materials are authentic and valid.

9. How is the fairness and impartiality of soldier candidate enrollment subject to oversight?

Answer: The Measures for Military Academies to Enroll Soldier Candidates requires units at the regimental level and above to improve and refine the oversight mechanism for soldier candidate enrollment work, strengthen oversight and inspection of key links in enrollment work, and voluntarily accept oversight by officers and soldiers. At the same time, in order to implement the Sunshine Enrollment requirements, safeguard the legitimate interests of all candidates, rectify the professional atmosphere in the field of military education, and focus on sensitive matters and key areas in soldier candidate enrollment work, the entire military has established from top to bottom institutional mechanisms for information disclosure, power restraint, and early warning and notification, exercising oversight over all areas and every link of enrollment work. During the enrollment period, a military-wide soldier enrollment supervision and reporting hotline has been established at 010-66827155; individual units have also established their own supervision and reporting hotlines to receive reports of relevant situations.