Escuela Militar de Cadetes

Overview

The Escuela Militar de Cadetes General José María Córdova (ESMIC) in Bogotá trains officers for the Colombian National Army. The professional programme in military sciences lasts four years (eight semesters). Graduates become Subteniente (second lieutenant). Alongside it, each cadet takes a complementary degree.

Who can apply

For the 2027-1 intake the instructions list these requirements:

• age at entry from 16 up to under 21, with a legal guardian's authorisation if under 18;

• a bachillerato certificate, or being in grade eleven and graduating in June 2026 and earning the certificate before the course starts;

• no criminal, disciplinary or fiscal records;

• Colombian nationality;

• Saber 11 (ICFES) results, or having them pending in the first half of 2026.

At registration you choose two complementary degree options from civil engineering, law, logistics administration, physical education and international relations.

Selection process

First phase

1. Pre-registration on the ESMIC site, payment of the registration fee, then a CV form that generates your registration code.

2. Medical exams at authorised centres (eliminatory), with five calendar days to complete them.

3. Online psychometric test, after consent and payment of 72,500 COP. You have 48 hours to take it once you receive the link. A psychological interview follows.

4. A fitness certificate from the army's occupational medicine authority.

Second phase (committee tests at ESMIC)

• Polygraph exam (eliminatory).

• Physical tests on land and in water, scored against army tables.

• English test.

• Interview with a senior officer, attended by one parent.

• Home visit, in person or virtual.

• Medical check by the school's doctor.

Third phase The selection committee, chaired by the school's director, meets and the list of admitted candidates and enrolment instructions are published.

Physical test

The reference sheet scores these items. The table gives the 100 percent and the 70 percent levels.

Important dates

For the 2027-1 intake, the school's site in 2026 listed applications from 13 February to 15 May (no year is shown on the page), and the instructions give 15 January 2027 as the start of the course.

Fees

The inscription fee covers registration, medical exams, psychometric tests and polygraph. Payments are generally not refundable if you do not continue for reasons attributable to you. Tuition discounts of 30 percent exist for children of military personnel and for Afro-Colombian and Indigenous communities, and 10 percent for a second sibling at ESMIC. Discounts are not cumulative, and applicants who served in the military may receive a full discount as set by law.

Preparation tips

• Read the current instructions document before registering.

• Train for the land and water physical tests, and prepare for the English test.

• Watch your email, including spam, since notifications go there.