Bangladesh Cadet College

Overview

The Cadet College Admission Test is the entrance examination for Class Seven (roughly age 12-13) admission into Bangladesh's 12 government residential Cadet Colleges. The colleges are run under the Ministry of Defence, with the Directorate of Inter-Services Public Relations and each college's Governing Body overseeing the test. There are nine Cadet Colleges for boys and three for girls, and admission to all of them is completed through one combined, nationwide test held on the same day each year. Successful candidates join a residential, English-medium secondary school that follows the National Curriculum and Textbook Board (NCTB) syllabus alongside a military-style boarding routine of discipline, sports and extracurricular training through to Class Twelve.

Who can apply

For the 2026 admission cycle (intake into Class Seven):

• The candidate must be a Bangladeshi citizen.

• The candidate must have passed Class Six or an equivalent examination.

• Age must not exceed 13 years and 6 months as of 1 January 2026.

• Minimum height of 4 feet 8 inches, for both boys and girls.

• The candidate must be physically and mentally fit, with no disqualifying medical condition; fitness is confirmed later at the medical test stage.

• 5% of seats nationwide are reserved for the sons and daughters of freedom fighters or martyred freedom fighters; a quota candidate must submit an attested copy of the freedom fighter gazette and produce the original at admission.

Exam pattern

Selection runs through three stages, in order: a written test, a viva voce (interview), and a medical test. Only candidates who clear the written test are called for the viva and medical stages.

The written test is based on the Class Six NCTB syllabus and is held in a single sitting of three hours. The medical test is a pass/fail fitness check rather than a scored component: a candidate found medically unfit is not offered admission regardless of written and viva marks.

Marking and results

Candidates are ranked mainly on combined written-test, viva-voce and suitability marks; the medical test does not add to the score but must be cleared to be offered a seat. The written test is scored first and a merit list of candidates who cleared it is published; those candidates are then called for the viva voce and medical test, after which a final merit and waiting list is released. For the 2026 cycle, around 51% of candidates who sat the written test cleared it and advanced to the viva and medical stage.

Important dates

The admission cycle runs once a year, broadly following this pattern (dates shown are for the 2026 intake):

Exact dates shift slightly each year; check the current cycle's circular on the official site.

Fees

For the 2026 cycle, the online application fee is Tk 2,000, paid at the time of applying and non-refundable.

How to apply

Applications are submitted online, through the official portal (cadetcollegeadmission.army.mil.bd or the Bangladesh Army's Cadet College page). A candidate fills in personal, academic and guardian details, uploads a photograph, pays the application fee online, and can choose a preference order among the 12 colleges (subject to the boys'/girls' college split). The admit card is downloaded from the same portal ahead of the written test.

After the exam

Candidates who clear all three stages are placed on a merit list and offered a seat at one of the 12 Cadet Colleges, generally in line with their college preference and the vacancies available. Selected candidates join Class Seven as residential cadets, living on campus for the full secondary-school term (Class Seven to Class Twelve) under a combined academic and military-style routine of NCTB coursework, physical training, drill, sports and extracurricular activities.

Preparation tips

• Revise the full Class Six NCTB syllabus for English, Mathematics, Bangla and General Knowledge, since the written test is set directly from it.

• Practise timed, full-length mock tests covering all four subjects together, since the written test is a single three-hour sitting.

• Build general knowledge of current affairs, Bangladesh's history and geography, since this carries separate marks and also comes up in the viva voce.

• Work on spoken communication and confidence for the viva voce, and start any needed health or fitness follow-up early so the medical test is not a last-minute surprise.

FAQs