Military non-commissioned officers examinations 2026: requirements and selection process

Key data

Resolution 452/38207/2026 convokes the selection processes for admission to military training educational centres through direct entry, with the aim of incorporating new career non-commissioned officers into the Spanish Armed Forces. This call opens a stable public employment pathway for Spanish citizens who meet the established requirements.

Access takes place through military training educational centres, and the status of career military personnel is acquired only after passing both the selection tests and the regulatory training in such centres.

What does this regulation establish?

The call regulates direct entry to the non-commissioned officer scales of the following military bodies:

• General Bodies of the Army
• General Bodies of the Navy
• General Bodies of the Air Force
• Marine Infantry Corps

The process contemplates two direct entry pathways, differentiated by the level of qualification required:

In both cases, applicants must pass the selection tests before joining the training centres. Once training is successfully completed, they acquire the status of career military personnel, with all the associated rights and obligations.

Economic and operational impact

For applicants, accessing the status of career non-commissioned officer means joining a stable public employment regime, with remuneration, social benefits and rights inherent to military status. A career as a non-commissioned officer offers progression within the military rank structure and access to the social protection systems of the Armed Forces.

From an operational perspective, the call involves a process in two clearly differentiated phases:

• Selection phase: physical, psychometric and academic tests that the applicant must pass before accessing training.
• Training phase: period in military training educational centres, whose completion determines the definitive acquisition of career military status.

The existence of two access pathways—with and without higher vocational training—broadens the profile of candidates who can apply for these positions, increasing the base of potential applicants.

Who does it affect?

• Spanish citizens wishing to begin a military career as career non-commissioned officers.
• Higher Vocational Training graduates (Superior FP) interested in the access pathway with qualification.
• Candidates without Higher Vocational Training qualification who meet the requirements for the pathway without qualification requirement.
• People in the process of professional guidance towards the public sector and the Armed Forces.
• Human resources advisors or employment counsellors working with young people seeking stable employment.

Practical example

A Spanish citizen with a Higher Vocational Training qualification in Electronic Systems and Automation decides to apply for the 2026 call. Having superior FP, they can opt for the direct entry pathway with qualification requirement.

The process they will follow is as follows:

1. They submit their application to the selection process convoked by the Under-Secretariat of Defence.
2. They pass the physical, psychometric and academic tests established in the call.
3. They join the corresponding military training educational centre for the body they have applied to (for example, General Bodies of the Navy).
4. After successfully completing training, they acquire the status of career military personnel in the non-commissioned officer scale, with all the rights and obligations of military status.

If the same candidate did not have a Higher Vocational Training qualification, they could still apply, but through the pathway without qualification requirement, following the same testing and training process.

What should applicants do now?

1. Consult the official call in the BOE: access the full text of Resolution 452/38207/2026 published on 20 April 2026 to learn the specific requirements, submission deadlines and necessary documentation.
2. Identify the appropriate access pathway: determine whether to opt for the pathway with Higher Vocational Training qualification or the pathway without such qualification requirement, based on your own academic profile.
3. Verify compliance with general requirements: Spanish nationality and other conditions established by the call to participate in the selection process.
4. Prepare for the selection tests: the tests are physical, psychometric and academic. Begin preparation with sufficient advance notice for each of these areas.
5. Submit the application within the deadline: strictly respect the registration deadlines indicated in the call to avoid being excluded from the process.

Official source

Notice: This article is purely informative in nature and does not constitute legal advice. For specific decisions, consult a qualified professional. Source: https://www.boe.es/diario_boe/txt.php?id=BOE-A-2026-8623