Joining The British Army #5 - The Assessment Centre - My Experience!
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- Äas pĆidĂĄn 11. 09. 2021
- After many, many months of waiting and preparing, I finally got chance to attend a British Army assessment event. This is a hugely important moment in my journey that could either open the door to a career in the military or slam it shut forever.
The assessment is essentially a 24 hour job interview, with numerous cognitive and physical test throughout the event.
Only those that make the grade will be allowed entry to the best armed forces in the world.
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Brilliant dude congrats im sure your gonna smash the PT and get your start date soon đ€đŒđđŒđ. I go back to Pirbright for my physical stuff too in few weeks, and I was told I'm looking at January start date too . (I'm going for Signals, Cyber warefare Operator). Keep up the videos dude đđđđ€đŒđ€đŒđ€đŒ
Great video, mate. Fantastic insights throughout. Thank you for putting it together
mine is on the 7th march nervous dont really know what to expect loved the video thankyou
Passed my assessment your video helped alot keeping me less nervous because knew what to expect, thank you
This is great to hear and is exactly the reason why I do the videos.
Well done!
Thanks for the help and heads up, looking to join infantry at 19 so this calmed my nerves a bit lol
Best of luck in your application.
I'm glad the video helped you out.
Fantastic video thank you. Reserves AC in June all being well. Thanks for sharing.
Glad you enjoyed it
†thank you
Thanks for video really helped ,passed assessment today at age 39 for royal engineers reserves ,wasn't as hard as what I thought, bleep test was hardest but again easier than I thought...alot of sitting around mainly till last hour or so ..
Get in! Well done on passing the assessment. I glad the video helped you out. Knowledge is power, so I think it's important to share info and help where you can.
There is a lot of waiting around. I personally found the TST the biggest challenge, mainly because I knew I needed a good score for my chosen trade. I'm going RE too, we might cross paths one day. Best of luck.
Wait can you join the army at that age?
@@fireblade8905 reserves you can join up to 42 ..
@@rodneytrotter6357 that's amazing. I wish you all the best in the army. Thank you for keeping us safe
Absolutely brilliant video, I got my mine on the 4th October at litchfield. This video is really helping me out . Cheers mate
Thanks for the feedback.
Best of luck for the forth!
Howâd it go?
@@BreakingWhite hey it went really well I've been in the army for two years now.
Are you planning to join?
@@hamsvibes7173 that's great news mate! yes I am considering
anything you wish you knew before you joined? @@hamsvibes7173
I have my Lichfield assessment on Monday! (May 9th) No matter how much I've revised I'm still slightly worried but at this point I think I'm just ready to get stuck into it!
I'm also doing the full 3 days 2 nights assessment so it's going to be extra fun
Best of luck, I'm sure you'll smash it.
Try to relax.
Best advice I can give is to listen carefully to instructions and give everything 100%. Remember the entire event is like a job interview.
@@aboutaveragejake Thank you Jake, will do! :)
@@aboutaveragejake Just got back home from the assessment centre, got a grade A pass, with the diagnosis of being colourblind af, so there goes all of my job choices :/ Was a good experience though! There was only 10 of us!
Cheers for the videos Jake mate! Amazing work, Keep em coming. Also was ur nickname in BT âMessiâ by chance đđ only joking mate love the videos and the channel youâve been helping me alot throughout my process brother, thank you!
Well done on passing your medical and exams, I've followed your journey as im in the same situation. Im 33 and looking to join the infantry so i just need to be fit and ready for my assessment on the 29th of this month in Pirbright. Hope you pass your fitness assessment in 2 weeks but judging from you bleep test practice you should smash it
I appreciate the encouragement. I plan on doing a follow-up video after I've completed the fitness part of the assessment, plus my tips video has now been edited so that'll be uploaded in a few days. It's great to know that someone of similar age to me is watching and having a similar journey.
Best of luck with your assessment, so long as you arrive with a good attitude, you'll breeze through it.
Looking forward to the new video as you go into lots of detail and that helps someone like me who doesn't know what to expect, thanks for the encouragement my bleep test today was 7.6 with a stitch so fingers crossed when i get there i can push myself to the limits to get 8.7
Good stuff. That's a good foundation to build on đ
Did you join up with the regulars mate? How did it go?
@jacobs3031 I went in as a regular completed basic and then transferred to reserves. The money was terrible and in civvy Street I get paid more than most the training staff, so reserves was the way forward and now have the best of both worlds
Congrats! Did mine a couple of weeks ago and passed with an A grade. Got deffered on the medical so just waiting for the green light to start basic hopefully.
Regards the mid thigh pull, it's so much easier than I'd expected, I was a bit worried cause I'm not the strongest (5ft 11in and 9 stone 7 pounds), still pulled 136kg. If I can do it, you can definately do it. The fitness general is easier on the day cause you'll just have a rush of adrenaline, best of luck with the phys! Glad you've done well so far!
Well done! Hopefully all will be fine with your medical stuff.
Wait if you got deferred doesnât it mean you have to redo it again
@@lukeconnor2904 I'm confused too, I got medically deffered for sickle cell trait and wasn't able to do fitness tests. Just did my cognitive, maths test and interview. I go soldier development course in April.
Just got RGMD back for 2nd time . Its been a long 18 months application for me but I'm now hoping to progress to assessment soon. RLC Reserves. I'll be watching your videos for a heads up. đ€đŒ
Nice! I hope it all works out for you. There's some decent trades within the RLC including truck driving so you'll be in high demand on civi street too!
@@aboutaveragejake that's the plan. Give myself more skills and experience
Hey Triple R, how did you get on? Have your joined your regiment?
@@FutureArnoldIWish I'm on Mod 3 next week, which is the 2 weeks battle camp formally known as Bravo. Taken part in some regt weekend activities. Booked next years camp in Cyprus! And 2 weeks trade training later in the year. You could say things have gotten pretty serious đ
thanks mate i just got an email to book my ac this vid helped
Always happy to help. Good luck for your AC.
@@aboutaveragejake thank you
I got my one tomorrow is the anything I need to know before I go mate
So long as you've prepared beforehand then you'll be fine. Just remember to arrive with a good attitude and pay attention when given an instruction.
Don't forget your documentation.
Really good video! Anyone who has an assessment day coming up, I would advise to watch this video
Thanks for the feedback.
Please do spread the word as it helps the channel grow, the aim of the video is too help people who are thinking about a career in the military so I hope it's helped you too!
Plenty more to come, so stay tuned đ
Hi did you do a cognitive test before the assessment to so 2 cognitive tests or just the 1?
Assessment at Belfast too
Belfast lads
Did you get your blood pressure taken? I might be going for assessment in the future and I cannot stand having my blood pressure taken by doctors so it goes way higher than when I do it at home lol
Yes, your pulse rate will be taken too as well as your BMI. You see the doctor for roughly 20 minutes.
I just finished my assessment yesterday and I passed,, Iâm also number 24 đ
Congrats and thank you for the vid! Did they pay for the train tickets? And did they seem to rely on the BMI much?
Looking to sign up in April/May, but need to work it out financially. Also hoping they can use their eyes more than the BMI cause it doesn't account for muscle mass, or do they measure different I wonder if they can see the BMI doesn't match up?
Hi sorry for the delayed reply.
Yes, they pay for all your travel. You can however drive yourself to the asseesment centre but you should talk to the careers office regarding this for more info.
I agree that BMI isn't a great way to determine an individuals weight but so long as the other tests are fine i.e ECG heart scan/blood pressure etc, then I think you'll be fine.
I donât think theyâre too strict with BMI. Iâm 17 and was one category underweight. I passed everything else so the doctor went and asked if I needed to be deferred but I count as junior entry so they passed me. Point being they might find a way around it.
@@humanbean1340I have my assessment centre on the 5th July and the only thing Iâm worried about it bmi. The max limit is 28 and Iâm 16 years old and have the bmi of 27.2-27.8. Iâm worried whether theyâll make me fail just due to being close to the bmi limit?
I canât remember the limits but if you arenât over you should be okay. Best of luck and as long as you can complete all of the other tasks (such as some flexibility bits and funny walks) you should be good to go. Good luck!
@@humanbean1340 thank you :) yeah Iâm fine with everything but was just curious if they were strict with bmi as like I said Iâm very near the limit so
Nice nice
Great video, got my assessment in a week, what advice would you give for the selection test ?
Do you mean the technical selection test? If that's the case then some GCSE maths revision will really help you out. The test itself is multiple choice but some of the questions can be tricky. I'd recommend brushing up on adding, subtracting, dividing and multiplying fractions, as well as index form, ratio's and decimal addition.
It's basically a GCSE maths test. The questions vary in difficulty, ranging from grade D to A grade.
BBC bitesize or Corbett Math are really good revision tools.
Good luck and remember out of 55 questions you need a score of 30 to open up EVERY trade the army has to offer, so focus on the questions you know and then return to the more tricky one's afterwards. Calculators are also provided.
@@aboutaveragejake really appreciate the response! Thank you for the help.
@@aboutaveragejake hello, is the exam on the computer? and also you can go back to check the questions youâve looked at before?
Hi,
Yes, the cognitive tests are all on computer. It's one test split into 5 parts. I believe there is a link on the Army website to some practice questions.
I don't think you can go back and review your answers because it's testing you on speed and accuracy. The best prep is practice beforehand.
The TST however is a multiple choice maths test done on paper so you'll be able to go back and review your answers once you've finished.
Hope this helps.
@@aboutaveragejake oh thank you, just wanted to know since I have the assessment date tomorrow thanks again! đ
What is the proof of results that you had from your college? Was it a printed email of your results from them? I'm asking because I don't have a certificate yet for my college gcse results.
Yes that's right. An email from the college you attended is adequate proof of GCSE results. I printed mine and took it along with me to the assessment event.
What if you don't have a maths GCSEs but actually have a higher level maths qualification such as a HND or foundation degree?
That's a question for the careers office buddy. They'll be able to answer that better than me.
Did you have any worries about your medical? They've mentioned about my knee dislocation from 2017 which has been fine dver since. No issues playing sport, gym or running. Bricking it for my medical at AC
The important thing about the medical is to be honest. If you fail to disclose any information then it could put your application in serious jeopardy.
The doctor will do a full physical check of your joints and flexibility so if everything is ok then you shouldn't worry.
Hi, did anyone attend the 2 night stay assessment? I'm going for mine next month and don't know what you could do in 2 full days
From what I've heard the additional day involves team building exercises. I'd imagine it's not as rushed either and events are spread out across the full 2 days. Your recruitment manager should be able to advise further.
Yeah I did the two day assessment centre, loved it hope you like it too. First days just settling in and paperwork next days medical then last days team work and fitness
Odd question but do you still wear a suite? I thought you did loads of tests including fitness at the centre
Under "normal" circumstances yes, you'd wear a suit for the interview part of the assessment. Because of covid the structure has changed so the event is condensed down. I actually did my interview in casual clothes but I did take a suit just in case. As far as fitness is concerned you need to pass a Beep test, mid thigh pull and a med ball throw.
@@aboutaveragejake Hello Jake random question but when you say "you need to pass a Beep test" what level do you have to reach. Thank you
@@Ryan-pl2oj depends on the role you are going for, it will be on the army jobs website
That advance maths test is that the foundation GCSE paper or the higher GCSE paper
The TST is a mixture of questions ranging from GCSE A grade to GCSE D grade.
Some questions were very easy and straight forward and some were quite tricky (or at least they were for me).
Revision is key.
Thank you
Greetings, I passed my RFTE now waiting for Phase 1 date. Could you please tell me have you got your phase 1 date? If yes how long did you wait for phase 1 date after RFTE? Thanks
Hi,
Well done on getting through.
I haven't received a phase 1 date either, but have been told that it should be in the first quarter of 2022.
I think your starting date all depends on the trade you've chosen, which is why some people only seem to wait a few weeks whereas others can wait a few months.
@@aboutaveragejake oh Okay, my role is cyber Engineer maybe thatâs why I have to wait. Anyways thank your for your reply. Have a great remaining weekend.
Not sure if you will be able to answer this but the numeracy and English test do you have to take them if your role you are going for says âno qualifications neededâ ?
As I understand it. If you've got no proof of any recognised qualifications, then you'll be required to sit the literacy and numeracy test regardless of trade choice. This is so you can demonstrate that you have a basic understanding of maths and English.
I believe it's similar to a level 1 functional skills test. It's really nothing to worry about.
There are a tonne of free online learning resources to help you brush up in these areas like BBC Bitesize.
Yes mate you do itâs easy equivalent to primary school
@@tjames0535 ah right, thanks
@@aboutaveragejake ok thank you
If you fail this numeracy & English test does this effect your overall score at the end of the assessment?
What should you wear on your way to the assessment centre Âż?
I wore comfortable trousers and a zipped hoodie. I don't think much has changed since I did mine in September so all the physical stuff will be on day 2.
You'll receive instructions on what to wear and take with you before you attend via your army email portal.
How much did you score in ACT when you were practicing at home and how much in the assessment center ? How hard is it?
I always felt like I did okay at home practicing. The real test at the assessment centre was near enough identical, however each test lasted a lot longer than the practice ones. If you're finding the practice tests ok then you'll be fine on the day.
@@aboutaveragejake how will the question come? I mean does it have specific no of questions for each topic ?
@@vishwasherpa4213 each test will score you on speed and accuracy. I can't remember how long each test takes, however you you'll be required to answer as many as you can in the time allowed.
Is the max age of 35, 11 months just for regulars? You can join as a reservist older than that.
Reservist can join older I believe but I'm not 100% sure. But the regulars do have a max age limit.
Is it advisable to wear a suit there, or just take it along in your bag or just leave it home?
You don't need to travel in a suit, just something comfortable. This will be explained to you however prior to your attendance via your army portal inbox.
I did take a suit with me but it wasn't needed. Because of covid they wanted to get candidates through the process as quickly and efficiently as possible.
In my opinion you should still take one just in case, as under normal circumstances you would wear one at the final interview. Your candidate support manager will be able to provide better information.
thank you, appreciated
how did it go? did u get into basic training? are u still there currently? did u do training prior
I've made a couple of videos since this one giving updates with regards to my personal journey. In short, no sadly I didn't join the Army. However the door is still open for possibly joining the reserves in the future. The most recent video on the channel should hopefully provide further information.
â@@aboutaveragejakewell done for trying mate takes a lot of bollocks to apply and go to selection iv done it.
Hey, how much we need gain for medic??
Not sure. Sorry.
The career's office will help you out with that question. I don't think you need to do a TST though
24 degree's and they canceled the fitness xD that's not hot at all xD. I'm British just have been living in South Africa for the last 5 years and I am thinking of signing up to the army, I just find it funny because I have done a lot of army like boot camps in like 28-35 degrees xD and they don't care about how hot it is when you are exercising xD.
The assessment event is a lot different to the real thing. In basic training, the rules are different. Remember, the aim is to train soldiers not to injure them or worse during training.
@@aboutaveragejake That is true.
what's the cognitive test max score ?
I'm not sure what the absolute max score would be. Unfortunately, that information wasn't disclosed to me at selection. That being said, there isn't a single trade that requires 100% scores. Plus, for the technical trades, you'll need to complete the TST as well as the cognitive test. I did a video on that separately and it can be found on the channel.
What are the rules on athsma right now ?
You'd need to ask someone at your career's office for an answer to that question. When I was at the assessment event, there were a couple of lads with a history of asthma but I think they passed without issues.
5 years clear with no use of inhaler, and you âmayâ get in. Some units will not accept if you have used an inhaler with steroids (brown or turbo inhaler) at any point.
@@Backs4more the instructor has said you can get in even with an inhaler you just need to pass the fitness test and a breathing lung capacity test
@@Runner-Boy which is why I said that you âmayâ get in. There are around 40 definitions of asthma in the system, so the only person that can give you a definitive answer is a military doctor.
I developed asthma late on, in my late 30âs and at first I was told that was it. I appealed and had tests. My asthma is brought on by an allergy to certain chemicals in red wine and some beers, so it was deemed ok and controlled. However, I had to record when I used an inhaler (blue). I was told if I later needed steroids to control it, that was me out.
Speak to a military doctor.
childhood asthma doesnt matter, if you are 4 years since requiring an inhaler/ havnt gone and get one, in them 4 years its all clear. some cases may still let you get in. Yes, im a couple months late haha
How old were you when you went selection?
Hi,
I was 34 when I went for my selection.
@@aboutaveragejake were there any older applicants around the same age?
â@@aboutaveragejakefair play trying at that age.
If I remember correctly, there were a number of lads over 30 but I think I was the eldest or maybe 2nd eldest out of everyone who attended.
What branch of the Army were you trying to join ? Thanks đ
Jesus the standards are beyond easy now
2k in 10:15 get a grip
Theirs no 2k its msft
There is a 2k run, called an SCR
@@bish50 yeah which is also part of the RFF which is a joke, itâs too long to complete and the only positive is that thereâs actually some green stuff in it
@Stun What green stuff? Lifting bags and leopard crawling doesnât replicate core fitness. I miss PFAâs and AFT/OFTs đ€Ł Whats a joke you can opt out of doing the RFT lolâŠ.. shame they wonât experience the back to back 12milers
@@bish50 100% agree with you mate itâs piss take and the standards of people getting through are a joke
To much waffle. Just get on with it.
Some of us like waffles đ§
Lemme guess? The British army is still pissed about America declaring independence and illegally separating from the union of Great Britain. Bruh. It was a long time ago. Get over it. Move on.
Erm....
OK.
What.
Wtf
đ
Tell me your retarded, without telling me your retarded.
Nice nice