The medical test after selection
[ The short answer ]
After a candidate is recommended by ISSB, the next required step is a final medical examination, usually at a Combined Military Hospital (CMH). It checks height, weight, eyesight, color vision, and general physical fitness. Medical standards are set per branch and can change between batches, so always check the current circular.
Passing the ISSB assessment is not the end: candidates must also be found medically fit. This examination is thorough and is conducted by military medical officers, with further referral to CMH if anything doubtful is found.
Indicative physical standards
Exact figures vary by branch, entry scheme, and batch, so treat the following as general guidance only:
- Army: male candidates generally need a minimum height of about 1.63 m (5 ft 4 in); female candidates about 1.60 m (5 ft 2 in), with minimum weights set by the branch.
- Navy: minimum heights are generally around 1.62 m for male candidates, with branch-specific values for female candidates.
- Air Force: male candidates generally need about 1.63 m; female candidates about 1.57 m for ground branches and higher for flying branches.
Because these standards change between batches and are set by each branch rather than by ISSB itself, the definitive source is the current recruitment circular of the branch you are applying to.
Eyesight and color vision
Eyesight is checked strictly. Flying branches generally require 6/6 uncorrected vision in both eyes with normal color vision, and no glasses or contact lenses for pilots. For most ground branches, minor refractive errors correctable with spectacles may be acceptable within limits. Recent Army circulars, for example, disqualify myopia or hyperopia beyond about 2.5 dioptres in either eye and astigmatism beyond about 1.0 dioptre. Normal color vision is mandatory across nearly all officer branches.
Common disqualifying conditions
- Flat foot or knock knee
- Significant eyesight defects or color blindness
- Chronic conditions such as asthma or serious skin disease
- Serious dental problems or missing teeth
- Varicose veins or similar vascular conditions
- Spinal deformities
What the examination involves
The final medical board typically includes an anthropometric check (height, weight, chest expansion), specialist examinations of the eyes, ears, nose, and throat, a general physician's review, laboratory tests, and a chest X-ray and ECG. Candidates with doubtful or minor findings may be referred to CMH for a specialist opinion rather than being rejected immediately. Candidates who disagree with a finding can appeal through the Appeal Medical Board (AMB); medical unfitness confirmed by the appeal board counts as permanent ineligibility.