Overview of the British Army Recruitment & Assessment Centre Selection Process

Introduction For context and to help describe the recruiting process for an applicant wishing to join the Regular Army the following outlines the common soldier recruiting pipeline activity. It is worth noting there are nuances between Soldier/Officer and Regular/Reserve (primarily at selection [Note 1] and medical screening [Note 2]). This information was correct on 30… Read More

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Who was J.P. Guilford?

Introduction Joy Paul Guilford (07 March 1897 to 26 November 1987) was an American psychologist best remembered for his psychometric study of human intelligence, including the distinction between convergent and divergent production. Developing the views of L.L. Thurstone, Guilford rejected Charles Spearman’s view that intelligence could be characterized in a single numerical parameter. He proposed… Read More

What Medical Issues Could Stop Me Joining the British Army?

Why Does a Medical Assessment Matter? Working in the British Army is challenging, both physically and mentally, and, therefore, a history of health problems or the presence of health conditions that usually do not affect your everyday life, can mean that you are not able to join, or you might have to wait to join.… Read More

The Impact of COVID on Gurkha Selection

The latest intake of Gurkha recruits have completed the selection process despite coronavirus restrictions. A total of 340 aspiring soldiers were due to arrive in Catterick as this issue went to press, having been whittled down from 1,600 hopefuls in their native Nepal. With social distancing and regular hand washing becoming the norm, applicants quickly… Read More

Royal Navy Recruit Influx & Training Delivery Changes

Regulars In January 2021, Royal Navy (RN) recruits began training at HMS Collingwood for the first time in decades, and this is down to a response to both the growing RN and a surge in interest in joining up during the COVID-19 pandemic. As 2020 ended, applications to join the RN, Royal Marines (RM) and… Read More

Reasons for Candidates Disengaging from the Army Recruitment Pipeline (2013-2019)

The first table outlines the general reasons for candidates disengaging from the British Army’s recruitment pipeline, whilst the second table outlines the top 5 reasons. Applications 13/14 % 14/15 % 15/16 % 16/17 % 17/18 % 18/19 % Withdrawn 76,640 66.2 76,300 60.3 72,380 57.4 116,210 60.7 71,190 60.4 54,680 58.9 Rejected 24,220 21.2 34,590… Read More

British Army Late Entry Officer Process to be Centralised

The process for applying for a late entry (LE) commission as a Regular has been changed. Would-be officers will now attend a centralised senior soldier assessment board (SSAB) instead of cap badges running separate events. The first SSAB will be held in August at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst and a virtual briefing will take… Read More