What are the British Army’s Individual Training Requirements (ITRs)?

Introduction

Previously known as Military Annual Training Tests (MATTs) – and before that Individual Training Directives (ITDs) – the British Army’s Individual Training Requirements (ITRs) are important mechanisms in the training and development of soldiers so that they can perform their roles.

On 01 April 2022, both MATTs and the Soldier First Syllabus were replaced by ITRs.

What is the Purpose of ITRs?

“The ITR is designed to ensure that every soldier and officer in the British Army maintains a foundation level of soldiering competence that enables them to execute their roles effectively, both on and off operations.” (The Wire, 2022, p.42).

How Often Must I Complete ITRs?

Like MATTs, ITRs are to be completed on an annual basis.

Outline of ITRs

ITRs encompass a range of soldiering skills required by all soldiers and officers regardless of their job/role, although some parts are tailored to the role of certain groups (e.g. Infantry versus Driver).

The new ITRs consist of three elements (The Wire, 2022a; Gurung, 2022; MacDonald, 2023):

Core Fitness;
Core Education; and
Core Combat Skills.

Core Fitness

Refer to Role Fitness Test (RFT).

Core Education

TBC

Core Combat Skills

There are five modules that make up Core Combat Skills:

Fieldcraft;
Navigation (refer to the new Land Navigation Advisor Course);
Marksmanship;
Protection; and
Communication.

Scenarios and drills undertaken as part of the Core Combat Skills element (which may be undertaken as part of a Battle Camp) can include:

Classroom/field-based learning and military skills theory.
Army Combat Marksmanship Test (ACMT).
Living in the field.
Day and night land navigation.
Camouflage and concealment.
Basic (field) administration.
Orders Process.
Target indication.
Fire control orders (FCOs).
Patrolling.
Setting up patrol harbours.
Radio communications.
Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear (CBRN).
Casualty Evacuation (CASEVAC).
Captured Persons (CPERS).
Close Target Recce/Reconnaissance (CTR).
Counter Explosive Ordnance (C-EO; previously Counter-IED).
Battlefield Casualty Drills (BCD), including basic first aid and multiple casualty incidents.
Various offensive and defensive actions such as: platoon defence, reaction to enemy contact, and section attacks.

What about Reserve Personnel?

Reserve soldiers and officers are to complete ITRs to the standard required for the unit to which they are assigned.
If a Reservist is assigned to a non-deployable role/unit they must complete the Core Fitness and Core Education elements of the ITR; if they are on the strength of a deployable unit or in a deployable role they must complete all three elements of the ITR.
HRR personnel, Reserve personnel serving in Regular deployable units, and Reserve personnel warned for operations will complete all three elements of the ITR.
Personnel mobilised will be required to attain the required ITR appropriate to the task for which they have been mobilised.
Reserves are not subject to ITR until the completion of Basic Training.
- The completion of Basic Training will replace the requirement to complete ITR in order to qualify for a certificate of efficiency (CofE) in that Training Year only.

Refer to The Reserve Forces Regulations 2016 (as amended) for further information.