ROYAL AIR FORCE OFFICER COURSE – 1 DAY TRAINING COURSE

When applicants initially set out to become a Royal Air Force Officer they will have to make contact with their local Armed Forces Careers Office. The best way to do this is to actually visit the office in person at your nearest centre and explain why you wish to become an RAF officer. They will then provide you with an information pack and further details of the application process. You can always call the careers information line to apply via 0845 605 5555.

Once you have submitted your details to the centre you will eventually be called in to the Armed Forces Careers Office for an initial filter interview. The principle behind this interview is to determine whether or not you have the right qualities and attributes to become an officer in the Royal Air Force. Upon successful completion of the filter interview you will be invited to attend the Officer and Aircrew Selection Centre (OASC). It is at this point that you will need to be fully prepared for every single element of the OASC and it is our 1-day training course that will achieve this goal.

The Officer and Aircrew Selection Centre (OASC) is located in Lincolnshire at the RAF College Cranwell. Here, you will undergo up to 4 days of interviews, exercises, tests and checks. Statistically speaking, only 1 out of every 5 people who attends OASC will be successful. During your time at the RAF College Cranwell you will take part in a variety of tests and assessments:

The first element to the OASC is a multitude of aptitude tests. These tests are designed to measure how well you fit into a specific job role. They analyse your ability to perform tasks such as:

• Your response to visual information.
• Your ability to multi-task.
• Your ability to use deductive reasoning and spatial reasoning.
• To determine your work rate and concentration.
• Test your verbal and numerical reasoning.

Part 1 of at the OASC also require you to take a medical test. This examination puts you through an interview and fitness test. It is important you pass every element of Part 1 OASC, as only candidates who achieve a pass in all areas will be allowed to take part in the second part of the RAF Officer selection process.

The second part of the OASC will require you to undertake 5 situational exercises. 3 of these are classroom based and the other 2 are physical hanger based. They are as follows:

Classroom based:

• Discussion exercise – A group based discussion on a given topic.
• Group Planning exercise – Theoretical problem solving using speed, distance and time tests in a group.
• Individual Problem exercise – Theoretical problem solving using speed, distance and time tests working alone.

Physical hangar based exercises:

• Leaderless exercise
• Command Situation exercise

For all of these exercises, except for the Individual Problem exercise, you will work in a group of 5 – 6 people.

TIP: Make sure that you are an active team player in all of the group exercises. Do not sit on the fence as only those who support the team and try their hardest will completed the given tasks and be noticed by the board.

The people who are most likely to pass the Officer and Aircrew Selection Centre (OASC) are well-prepared and have an excellent understanding of how they are going to be assessed.

In Summary the RAF officer selection involves:

• Group exercises to demonstrate your leadership potential in a challenging environment.
• After the exercise you will be interviewed. It is important to use this opportunity to show the interviewer your passion, knowledge and why you should be an RAF officer.
• You will the need to complete an occupational health test as well as the Selection Fitness Test which involves a 2.4 km treadmill run, sit up, press ups and a multi-stage Fitness Test also known as the Bleep Test.