HMS Sultan

Last week the Daily Telegraph ISCE short-listed candidates met once again for the penultimate selection event.  This time the candidates travelled to HMS Sultan in Gosport to take part in a shortened version of the Navy’s Admiralty Interview Board.  The AIB, as it’s known, is an assessment exercise to establish if candidates have the competencies, skills and attributes required to join the challenging Royal Navy Officer training course.  Only 1 in 5 people pass this tough selection process.

Over the course of the first afternoon the candidates were shown different methods for building bridges across imaginary shark infested waters, using only planks of wood and poles balanced between small platforms or suspended by ropes.  The tasks were based both ‘on land’ and across a large tank of water, where the candidates also had to learn how to use the ropes to swing safely from one side to the other.  The challenge was met with great enthusiasm by all – even if some did get their feet wet in the process! 

After their initiation into bridge building the candidates were taken straight to the fitness exercise – a ‘Bleep Test’.  This test is automated and requires you to run between two cones placed 20 meters apart before the next ‘bleep’ is sounded.  The bleeps progressively get closer and closer together.  Kathryn Rose said, “As soon as I heard the bleeps starts memories flooded back of doing this test at school.  It’s amazing how something that sounds so simple can leave you feeling so exhausted!” 

Still in their sports kit and gulping down water the candidates were taken to the next task – a practice mental agility test.  Each candidate was given a booklet outlining a scenario in which you’re taking part in a military exercise.  Working alone, the candidates were given a map of their location and details of their equipment and supplies.  In the next stage the camp is attacked and you are required to plan the best way to get you and your team to safety.  With only limited time to take in all the information the task is more challenging than you might expect. 

The day’s events were just a warm up to the assessed tasks that would follow the next day.

In true military fashion the candidates were up early the next morning woken by the sound of a trumpet over the internal Tannoy system.  Within the space of a few hours the teams had to put into practice everything they’d learnt from the day before.  Split into two teams of four their first challenge was the bridge building leadership task.  Each candidate was presented with a different scenario and give 15 minutes to work alone and produce a solution.  In turn each candidate then had to lead their team to complete the task within the allotted 8 minute time window.  Faced with both ‘dry’ and ‘wet’ challenges the candidates were reunited an hour later.  Much to their amusement everyone was wet having taken a dip in the water tank at least once!

They only had time for a quick change before heading straight to the mental agility test.  Again, split into two the teams were presented with a military scenario and had to find the best way to lead their team to safety.  Each member was quizzed carefully by the assessment board. 

On completion everyone was exhausted, but had thoroughly enjoyed the experience.  The whole process was a really interesting and challenging in a completely different way to the training at HMS Raleigh earlier in the year.  However, the AIB marks the final assessment for the whole group.  Only four will be selected to go on to the next stage - a winter training expedition to Arctic Norway.  On leaving everyone wished each other well.  Aware that this may be the last time the group would be together for a while, but determined to meet up again for another adventure.

You can read more about the candidates adventures in the Daily Telegraph's latest Spirit of Scott article.