A paying cadet is one who pays the full fees, but receives a refund for the half fee. They are also known as PCs or PC. Students are selected based on merit at NUST, NUMS, and UET.
Don’t settle for average – choose Paying Cadet Guide and get the knowledge and skills you need to excel in your career.
Who can apply for Paying Cadets (PCs)?
Civilians cannot apply for paying cadets, only army brats are eligible. It is only open to students whose father or mother serves, shaheeds or retired from the military, PAD, or in defense service such as MES.
Read: Ace the Inter Services Selection Board (ISSB) with Ease
Where do Paying Cadets get selected?
There are three departments in which paying cadets are selected:
- EME (Electrical and Mechanical Engineering)
- MCE (Military College of Engineering)
- MCS (Military College of Signals)
- PNEC (Pakistan Navy Engineering College)
- CAE (College of Aeronautical Engineering)
- AMC (Army Medical College)
- NUMS (National University of Medical Sciences)
What is VMS Bond for PC?
The term VMS refers to Voluntary Military Service. The bond must be signed if you are selected as a Paying Cadet. Below is the image format of the VMS Paying Cadet Bond document.
Read: How to Get Equivalence Certificate from HEC
Do Paying Cadets serve Pakistan Army?
It is clearly stated in the above document that you have to serve for at least 3 years in the Pakistan Army. You must pay Rs. 500,000 if you do not want to serve in the Pakistan Army after graduation.
What are the types of Paying Cadets?
Medical Paying Cadet
Girls and boys can apply for Medical PC. They get admission in AMC and NUMS.
Engineering Paying Cadets
Both girls and boys are eligible to apply for Engineering PC. Admissions to NUST and UET are granted to them.
How to apply for Paying Cadets?
We now come to the real question of how to apply for PC seats.
Step 1 – Take the Test: You must apply and take the NUST and NUMS entrance tests. You cannot apply without the test. Applicants for Medical PC must take NUMS. Similarly, for engineering PC applications, you must pass the Nust Engineering Test (NET).
Step 2 – Get the Form: Fill out the form for paying cadets. Where can I get the form? You don’t need to worry, just keep reading.
Step 3 – Please attach the following attestation documents to your application form:
The following documents must be attested:
- SSC matric marks sheet
- F.Sc marks sheets Part-1 and Part-2 or equivalent if you have taken A level
- Parents’ discharge certificate/release order
- The NOC from the Military Colleges (students from the military colleges)
- CNIC/Form ‘B’
Step 4 – Sending to GHQ: You can send it by mail or submit it at Gate Number 3 of GHQ.
Read: Join Pakistan Armed Forces
Where can I get the Paying Cadet Form?
Two ways are available for getting the Paying Cadet Form:
- The PC form is available at GHQ Gate No 3.
- You can access all the station headquarters of your city through the OAS system in your father’s unit. If your father is unaware of it, he should ask the clerk at his office, he must know.
When can I apply for paying cadets?
Engineering Category admissions typically close on 7th July and Medical Category admissions close on 31st August of the year of admission. You must submit your paying cadets form to GHQ before these dates otherwise you will lose your chance.
What is the distribution of seats for PCs?
Below is a picture showing the seats for paying cadets.
60% of seats will go to active military personnel, and 40% to retired army personnel.
Your first thought might be that Shaheed army personnel do not have seats. This is why almost all of the students are selected to be paying cadets.
Read: Join the Navy Now
Do I need a high net score for a Paying Cadet?
The NET merit number is the one that matters most to get a paying cadet, not the aggregate.
Serving
A NET score of 110+ is required if your father is serving in the military. The merit number must be less than 9000. The assumption is based on previous results. It is possible that the results of the current year will be different.
Retired
If your father retired from the military, you may need to spend a bit more effort to get a NET score above 120 and a merit score below 7000.
Merit numbers must fall between the following ranges in the following departments:
- Mechanical Engineering: Merit number below 500
- Electrical Engineering: 1500-3500
- Mechatronics: 2500-5000
- Civil Engineering: 2500-5000
- MCS (Telecom and Software): 4000-6500
- Computer Science: 5000-8000
Read: PAF Recruitment
How can I calculate aggregate?
It’s a simple formula:
- NET %75
- F.Sc %15
- Matric %10
Would you mind giving me an example? Yes, of course!
Consider that you have a NET score of 150, a matric score of 950, and F.Sc score of 900. There are 200 marks in NET, 1100 marks in F.Sc, and 1100 marks in Matric.
- For NET 150/200 multiply by 75= 56.25
- For F.Sc 950/1100 multiply by 15=12.95
- For Matric 900/1100 multiply by 10=8.18
- Total: 56.25+12.95.8.18=% 77.38
Do I need a high score in net to get a medical paying cadet seat?
Getting an aggregate of 83 or higher will guarantee your seat as a paying cadet at NUMS.
Read: FIA Jobs for Males and Females
What are the ineligibility conditions of Paying Cadet?
The following conditions are taken from the paying cadets form:
- During the year of application, candidates who are nominated for admission on the basis of open merit (based on NUST entry test or SAT) will be ineligible for the PC scheme and UET at NUST.
- The candidate who has been nominated for PC/ASC in any discipline in NUST/UET (for Army reserved seats in UETs) is not eligible to apply for subsequent years’ admission. It will not affect eligibility for admission to the PC Scheme or UETs if GHQ cancels due to selection on open merit.
- Candidate selected as Technical Cadet.
- A candidate who fails the entry test of a relevant Engineering University in the province of their domicile while applying for Army Reserve Seats in UETs.
- The candidate has been withdrawn or released for disciplinary/academic/medical reasons or on their own request from any Defence Forces Training Institution.
- An applicant who has only applied to one engineering discipline at NUST/UETs, as well as against the PC scheme, on open merit. The subject of Computer Science will not be considered a second discipline since it is not an engineering subject (refer to Para 29b).
- An applicant who is declared medically unfit (as defined in the NUST prospectus.
- Those children whose parents were expelled from the Army due to disciplinary problems (fault).
- The children of retirees who haven’t rendered pensionable service or who don’t draw a pension.
- Children of veterans whose retirement period exceeds 25 years at the deadline for GHQ to accept applications.
- Relatives of service members and retirees in the Army, including adopted children and dependents.
- An individual who is selected as a regular cadet for a defense forces institution.
- Candidates not meeting NUST’s basic eligibility criteria.
- Students with diplomas are not eligible for any undergraduate program at NUST or UET.
Read: Join Punjab Police
What are the most common mistakes students make when applying for PC?
The following mistakes are made by students:
- Cadets in the engineering program do not submit their PC forms to GHQ before 7th July (it can change any current year) and cadets in the medical program do not submit their PC forms before 31st August.
- No one applies for NC seats. According to them, we have already applied for PC seats, so we do not need to apply for this. If you don’t apply for local seats, you won’t get any admission.
