Armed forces technical officer : Entry requirements

All three armed forces recruit graduates as technical officers and provide initial officer training and continuation of technical and professional training. The academic requirements for entry into technical and engineering commissions vary between the forces and even between different branches:

• The Royal Navy  and the Royal Air Force (RAF) will consider applications from graduates with any scientific or engineering degree.
• In the Army , the first preference of the Corps of Royal Engineers is for graduates in civil engineering, mechanical engineering and electrical engineering.
• The Royal Signals  will consider graduates of any subject, although their first preferences include electrical engineering, computer science, software engineering and telecommunications.
• The Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers (REME) offer a fully accredited route to chartered engineer status for all. Candidates must have a degree in engineering - either mechanical, electrical, electronic, civil, aeronautical, or production - or in computer/software science/IT, mathematics or physics.

If you have a technical higher education qualification other than a degree, you should seek advice from the university liaison officer (ULO) or local armed forces careers office of the service you wish to join, as acceptability varies between forces, depending on both the subject you have studied and the specialism you are interested in pursuing.

A pre-entry postgraduate qualification is not needed, neither is pre-entry experience, but some training with cadet forces, university service units or the Territorial Army (TA)  can be helpful.

Generally speaking, you must be a UK, Commonwealth or Irish citizen and have been resident in the UK or Ireland for five years prior to entry to the armed forces, but some exceptions and restrictions apply. Age limits also apply. You will be expected to demonstrate a range of qualities and aptitudes, including:

• excellent communication and presentation skills;
• the ability to identify, investigate and resolve situations and problems;
• integrity and a commitment to take and exercise responsibility;
• leadership potential - all officers are expected to be leaders and managers;
• the ability to think clearly and act decisively under pressure and in challenging situations;
• a good health record and high level of physical fitness, with good sight and colour perception.

All three services offer student bursaries or sponsorship, but amounts vary according to the subject you are studying and the needs of the service. University service units also pay students who join and attend training. Up-to-date information on bursaries, entry requirements and familiarisation visits is available from ULOs, local armed forces careers offices and on the three armed forces websites.

Assessment for the Army is via the Army Officer Selection Board (AOSB). The AOSB process consists of two assessments - the AOSB Briefing (lasting two days) and AOSB Main Board (lasting four days) for those who successfully complete the Briefing. Assessment includes a series of individual and group tests of your physical, mental, intellectual and practical abilities, along with in-depth interviews. Selection for the RAF involves the Officer and Aircrew Selection Centre (OASC), which includes aptitude tests and a selection interview. This process of testing personality, initiative, fitness and aptitude may take up to four days. For the Royal Navy, potential officers must attend a two-day Admiralty Interview Board. This involves a formal interview and a discussion exercise, together with fitness and mental agility tasks to assess verbal and non-verbal reasoning skills, concentration and spatial orientation.

High standards are required throughout the selection process for all of the armed forces and evidence of leadership potential is sought by all. A perceived lack of service knowledge and a limited grasp of current affairs are cited as common shortcomings at the interview stage, so applicants should pay particular attention to these areas when preparing. It is recommended that you start to build up fitness levels before you commence basic training, as this will enable you to feel more confident and enjoy the training more.

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