İsmail Adak graduated from primary school in 1960, secondary school in 1963 and high school in 1966 in Konya. In 1973, he graduated from the Middle East Technical University, department of business administration and started his business life.
In 1973, he started to work as an Assistant Specialist in the Feasibility group Iron and Steel department at TÜMAŞ, Mühendislik Anonim Şirketi, in Ankara. In 1974, he started his master's program at the Faculty of Mechanical and Naval Engineering at the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow, England. He returned to Turkey after receiving his master's degree in 1975. In the same year, he did his military service as a reserve officer in Isparta. In 1976, he worked as a research assistant at the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Sunderland in Sunderland, England. He both did postgraduate studies and gave lectures at this university. M.Phil from University of Sunderland in 1978. degree and returned to Turkey.