OFFICERS / AIRCREW / NCO'S
You'll be invited in for a presentation, and a chance to make sure you have all of the required documents and qualifications needed for your role. The presentation isn't life changing but definitely worth paying attention and taking some notes. You won't be tested on anything at this point. At the end of this presentation, you'll be given dates of your CBAT testing. This is where things get interesting. You'll be invited to RAF Cranwell the day before your testing date. How you get there is up to you, both times I traveled by train, paid for by my AFCO of course. The journey isn't too bad, was a 4 hour train journey for me via London. You'll arrive at Grantham station (if traveling by train) and you will be collected by a minibus outside the station. Make use of this time by talking to the other candidates. The minibus will take about 30 minutes to get to Cranwell and you'll have to go via the security gate to have your photograph taken for your ID. You'll then go and collect your room key and head on to your room to drop off your things. Besides a quick briefing letting you know plans for the morning, the evening time is now yours. Head off to the local SPAR shop, or just chill in the mess with other candidates. (Very cheap bar) dinner will be served at around 1900. You'll be awake at around 6 for breakfast so I do not recommend having a late night.. but whatever floats your boat.
So you've woken up at 0600, after a **** nights sleep in those horrible metal beds. Take the mattress off the bed and put it on the floor. For the love of god if there could be one thing I could tell myself it would be to do that sooner. You'll suit up, (make sure you're dressed smart, but relatively comfortable) and head down to breakfast. The food is decent at Cranwell, both times I've been I've had a full English, quality! Make sure you eat as you'll need all the brain food you can get down you. You'll head into the OASC center, and be given a quick brief about what to expect and what you'll be doing.
CBAT
*Please note, not all officer roles require CBAT testing*
The CBAT tests are NOT fun. They're not in the slightest bit enjoyable and they will test you. 6 hours of solid testing with only one lunch break, and several 5 minute breaks in-between. I suggest making the most of these breaks and drinking water like a camel. The CBAT is composed of a variety of different tests to assess your mental aptitude. The majority of these tests you can't really prepare for as unfortunately they're mostly a "You either have it or don't" situation.. Memory, spatial awareness etc, but you can gain as much of a boost as you can by practising mental maths, and practising aptitude tests online can never hurt. Oh and one more thing, SPEED, DISTANCE, TIME. You'll be doing a hell of a lot of SDT questions so I suggest knowing the equations like the back of your hand. You WILL feel like you're doing horrendously, nobody I've ever met whilst doing the tests has been confident, but I assure you that you're doing better than you think. After this is over, you'll be sent downstairs to the waiting room. (The worst part of the day in my opinion) where you'll be called up one by one to discuss your results. You'll either be told good news, or bad news. Hopefully you'll hear what you want to hear and reach the scores required for your grade, but if not, you will be advised where to go next.
So you're back home after your ordeal and you're either happy or not. I'm going to talk about what happens if you're happy. You'll be contacted by your AFCO and you'll be invited in for your filter interview. This will take place at your local AFCO with the NCO.
YOUR FILTER INTERVIEW
Your interview will consist of two halves. One being about you and the other being about the RAF. The first half is where you sell yourself, and I mean REALLY sell yourself. Everything you've ever done of importance, your school, your family background, your work history, being captain of the football team, looking after your nans dog. I don't care what it is, everything with any sense of responsibilty is important here, why you want to join the RAF. This part is down to you, you know you. The second half is what you can prepare for. They WILL grill you, you really need to prepare for this or you just simply wont succeed.
I'm not going to do the research for you, but you'll need to know about;
RAF General Knowledge
• What is the role of the RAF today?
• How long is your initial contract for?
• Name RAF bases in the UK.
• Where do we have permanent overseas bases?
• Where are the RAF currently deployed on operations?
• Why do YOU think the armed force get involved in operations in countries such as Afghanistan and Iraq?
• What do YOU think are the advantages of being in the RAF?
• What do YOU think are the disadvantages of being in the RAF?
RAF Recruit Training
• Where is it?
• How long is it?
• How is that time broken down?
-Name the 3 phases of training
-What are you going to get taught during each phase?
RAF Trade Training
• Which RAF station is your Trade Training carried out on?
• How long is it?
• What are you going to be taught during your trade training?
• What civilian qualifications will you gain from your trade training?
• What is the role of your chosen trade within the RAF?
I'm sure I've missed things out but you'd have been told the things you need to know about at your presentation. After your interview you'll sit in at your AFCO for around 20 minutes whilst being assessed and reviewed, and then you'll be told whether you're successful or not there and then!
MEDICAL
The medical will change depending on your chosen role, but they all have the same sort of basis. You'll be sent off to a civilian doctor, (may require some traveling). You'll have a basic hearing and vision test, followed by a test of lung capacity and heart thingymagig, I don't know what it is. Making sure you have healthy heart I guess. You'll then be weighed and measured. Then you'll be stripped down to your pants and socks and made to squat, walk around on your heels, and generally make a fool of yourself so the doctor can assess your joints and how you walk. I don't know if this applies to everyone but the doctor told me on the date that I was combat ready and my medical passed without any problems.
OASC
This is what separates the men from the boys. This will really determine your future in the RAF. Unfortunately I missed this by a matter of days, so I can only go by what I've read and heard. You'll be invited up to RAF Cranwell for 3 days of leadership testing, problem solving, and planning exercises. You'll also undertake a fitness assessment involving a MSFT and press ups and sit ups. I think you have to pass every part of OASC or you'll be sent home? Someone will have to confirm that for me. What I do know however, is that you'll have to to sit a Final Interview infront of the OASC board, following the same sort of pattern as your filter, only much much more detailed and grilling.
ALL SNCO CANDICATES SUCH AS WSOP OR ABM OR SNCO ATC, ETC WILL NOW RE-JOIN THE SAME PATH AS THE AIRMEN CANDIDATES AT THE STAGE OF PRTC. OFFICER CANDIDATES WILL CONTINUE ON THIS PATH.
IOT
See post 6.