You will eventually be invited to attend what is called a ‘filter’ interview. This interview is designed to assess whether or not you have the right qualities to become a Royal Marines Officer. If you successfully pass the filter interview, which is usually held at the Armed Forces Careers Office, you will be recommended to attend the Potential Officers Course (POC). If you pass the POC then you will go to the Admiralty Interview Board (AIB). The filter interview is, in our opinion, relatively easy to pass. However, you will still need to put in plenty of preparation if you are to succeed.
How to Become a Royal Marines Officer in 2024
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BECOME AN OFFICER IN THE ROYAL MARINES
The Royal Marines are a formidable fighting unit who have a reputation for a fearless attitude and an unrivalled success in combat missions.
If you want to know how to become an officer then this 150-page online workbook is packed full of insider tips and advice to help you pass both the Potential Officer’s Course and the Admiralty Interview Board. This truly is the ultimate resource for any person hoping to ace the selection process and achieve their dream career within the Armed Forces.
The Royal Marines Officer Selection Process
The selection process will normally consist of the following elements:
Registration & Application
The Naval Service Defence Aptitude Assessment
AFCO Interview
Medical and Eye Test
Fitness Test
Officer Suitability Interview
The Potential Officers Course
The Admiralty Interview Board (AIB)
Stage 1 – ONLINE REGISTRATION & APPLICATION
The first step on your route to join the Royal Marines as an officer is to register your interest online, or by contacting your local Armed Forces Careers Office. There you will be required to fill out some basic information, learn about life in the marines as an officer and if you wish to proceed you can then submit an online application.
Joining the is a very big decision and one that shouldn’t be taken lightly. You will need to consider your choice of career carefully and will be required to complete a short questionnaire that will determine your suitability for joining.
Stage 2 – The Naval Service Defence Aptitude Assessment
The Naval DAA is a series of psychometric tests that are designed to assess your ability to perform to the demands of the Royal Navy and your chosen career. The tests are a tried and tested method of selection and are extremely accurate in assessing a candidate’s suitability.
The pass mark required for each role will vary depending on the requirements for each job. The test itself will normally be carried out at your local Armed Forces Careers Office and will be under strict timed conditions.
The six different testing areas are as follows:
Verbal Reasoning
Numerical Reasoning
Spatial Reasoning
Mechanical Comprehension
Electrical Comprehension
Work Rate
Stage 3 – THE AFCO interview
The next stage in the process to join is to attend an online interview. These commonly used to be held at your local Armed Forces Careers Office, but the COVID-19 restrictions have seen this replaced by a virtual interview.
During the interview the careers advisor will assess your suitability for a career in the Royal Navy and more specifically the potential to become an officer in the Royal Marines.
Stage 4 – Medical and eye test
The next stage of the selection process is to undergo a comprehensive medical and eye examination.
As the role is extremely physically demanding it is vital that you are at the most optimum health and fitness possible. The medical examination will be undertaken by an MOD approved doctor. You will be contacted and asked to attend one near to your home location.
Stage 5 – THE Royal Marines Fitness Test
One of the toughest elements of the selection process is the fitness test. The role requires that you are in excellent physical shape and are self-motivated to maintain excellent levels of fitness at all times.
The fitness test will comprise of two 2.4km treadmill runs set at an incline of 2 percent. You must complete the first run under 12 minutes and 30 seconds and the second run under under 10 minutes and 30 seconds. With only a minutes rest between runs, you myst sure you are extremely fit to have any chance of success.
Stage 6 – Suitability Interview
The next stage and one of the most challenging of the selection process is to attend the officer suitability interview.
The purpose of this interview is to assess if you are suitable for a career in the Royal Marines and that you are ready to attend the potential officer course.
Stage 7 – THE Potential Officer course
Stage 7 is another challenging part of the selection process is to attend the gruelling and rigorous Potential Officer course.
Held over 4-days, you will be assessed against numerous challenging exercises. You will be pushed to your limits physically and mentally. You will undergo a number of exercises which will assess your strength and endurance. These will involve gym-based strength exercises and outdoor endurance runs and marches. You will also undergo a number of team exercises.
If you are able to adapt to the situations and remain calm and composed under pressure, you will have a chance of success. However, this penultimate stage is extremely tough and you will have to be at your very best to succeed.
Stage 8 – ADMIRALTY INTERVIEW BOARD
The Admiralty Interview Board (AIB) is the eighth and final stage of the selection process. This lasts for one and a half days and you will be assessed on a number of different exercises and tests to assess your suitability to become an officer with the Royal Marines.
Before you arrive at the AIB you will be sent a questionnaire to complete. This helps the Royal Navy to make an initial assessment about you. It is important that you complete the form as fully and as accurately as possible. It is your chance to blow your own trumpet. We recommend you complete the form in a manner which is positive and also in a way that demonstrates you have the relevant qualities required to be a leader and a manager within the Royal Marines.
Other tasks you will undertake during the AIB are as follows:
- A fitness assessment;
- A number of psychometric tests;
- Practical leadership tasks;
- Undertake a planning exercise test;
- Sit the AIB interview.
As you can see there is a lot crammed in to the 1.5 days, so it is vital that you prepare comprehensively for every element of the AIB to be successful and realise your dream to becoming an officer.
Royal Marines Officer: Commonly Asked Questions
The selection process for becoming a Royal Marines Officer does not have a set time-frame and will depend on a variety of factors. Once you have successfully completed the selection process you will begin your Initial Royal Marines Officer Training which takes 18 months.
The starting salary for a Royal Marines Officer is £27,000 during training, this reaches £32,000 once training is complete. Specialist roles will command a higher salary, though. Within 26 months of being in your role, you may reach a potential salary of £39,600.
The selection process, and training, to join as an officer is undeniably tough.
Not only must you pass the psychometric tests (consisting of mechanical reasoning, numerical reasoning, spatial reasoning, verbal reasoning) and the AFCO interview to complete the selection process. You will then undergo a comprehensive medical and eye examination and after that you must pass the gruelling fitness tests:
– Pre-Joining Fitness Test: step off of a 3m high diving board in swimwear, swim 80m using breaststroke, retrieve a brick from a pool 5m deep then tread water for a further 2 minutes, exit the pool without the aid of a ladder.
– Potential Officer’s Course: 2.4 km squadded run on tarmac within 12.5 minutes followed by 2.4 km best effort run within 10.5 minutes, bleep test shuttle run to level 11 or higher, 30 press-ups, 3 pull-ups, 60 sit-ups (please note – all figures shown are the minimum pass requirements and you should be aiming for much higher).
Then, your basic training will begin and you will have to complete the commando course. This consists of the following four exercises completed over four consecutive days.
– Endurance course completed within 71 minutes
– 9-mile uphill march completed within 90 minutes
– Tarzan assault course completed within 12 minutes
– The 30-miler completed within 7 hours across multiple terrain types.
You are eligible to apply for the role if you have a minimum of five GCSEs (with a grade of C/4 and above), including English and maths and a minimum of two A-levels so it is not a requirement to hold a degree. However, if you have a degree you can apply through the Direct Graduate Entry route instead.
Age:18-25 years old at the time of entry (you can apply at 17 as long as you will be 18 by the time of entry)
Minimum height: 151.5cm
Minumum weight: 65 kg
Education: a minimum of five GCSEs (with a grade of C/4 and above), including English and maths and a minimum of two A-levels are required.
Medical: you must be in good health and physically fit including a healthy BMI.
Nationality: British national, British dual national, dual Commonwealth national
Criminal convictions: Criminal convictions in general are not an automatic bar to entering though there are certain offences, or types of sentence will prevent you from being eligible to apply. All applicants are subject to an extensive background check and all spent and unspent convictions must be declared.
Tattoos/piercings: tattoos are permitted as long as they are not on your face, throat area or in front of your ears and they are not offensive. Any body piercing that can be removed is also accepted, excluding flesh tunnels.
Career as a Royal Marines Officer – Further Information
(CLICK THE BELOW TITLES TO CHANGE TABS)
The POC is designed to see whether you are likely to meet the challenge of being a Royal Marines Officer. As the title suggests, it is a test of your potential so you must prepare fully and give it your all if you are to have any chance of succeeding.
It is an immensely grueling test of your physical fitness, and above all the Royal Marines are looking at your determination and commitment. In addition to the above you must also demonstrate leadership potential, intelligence, how you communicate and whether you can keep a sense of humor even when you are absolutely exhausted.
The POC also gives you the opportunity to find out more about the Royal Marines. Many candidates find out during the POC that it simply isn’t for them and decide not to carry on with selection. It is also a unique chance to learn a lot about yourself and your strengths and weaknesses. The POC takes place at the Commando Training Centre Royal Marines (CTCRM), Lympstone, Devon. The base is situated on the banks of the Exe estuary, 8 miles south-east of Exeter. Courses run approximately twice a month throughout the year increasing in frequency between March and July. The POC lasts for 52 hours spread over 3 days from 0900 Monday to lunchtime Wednesday.
The Commando Officer State of Mind
The Commando state of mind is the first thing you will need to develop when preparing for selection. Before you start preparing for the selection process, the interview or even the PRMC, you must learn how important it is to adopt the correct state of mind. If you have it, then you are far more likely to succeed and pass the selection process.
Picture the scene, you are at the PRMC and you are taking part in the assault course. You are totally shattered and your body wants to stop. You’ve simply had enough and you’re not sure that your body can take any more. The majority of other candidates have already stopped and you are desperate to not give in. What do you do?
The problem with this kind of scenario is that it is new to you. Not many of us find ourselves in these kinds of situations ever in our lifetime. Therefore our minds are not tuned to cope with it, and the natural reaction is to quit. Your muscles are telling your mind that they can’t take any more and they send a signal to your brain basically saying enough’s enough!
It’s at this point that you’re going to be different. This is the difference between your average person and a Commando. Regardless of how much you ache, or regardless of how much your body is telling you to quit, your mind will be telling you something completely different. To put it simply, you never give in, even if your body can’t move any further along that assault!
PASS THE ROYAL MARINES OFFICER RECRUITMENT PROCESS
We guarantee that our How To Become a Royal Marines Officer online resources will teach you how to navigate the different elements of the selection process. The package contains pages of recruitment information which will guide you through each of the different elements of selection, including the application form, the interview, the DAA, POC, fitness tests and the AIB.
Start Preparing Now 👉Adopt the Commando Officer State of Mind during the selection process and your chances of success will increase greatly
Our comprehensive insider’s guide has all the information you need to help you pass the tough officer selection process including POC and AIB interview questions, psychometric test sample questions and essential insider information on how to pass every stage of the selection process.
Pass the Royal Marines Selection Process. First Time.
Crafted for everyone, no matter your skill level or background, this guide was made to help you achieve one goal: to join the Royal Marines.
WHAT WILL YOU LEARN?
Scoring Criteria
Essential information about how you will be assessed during every stage of the selection process.
APPLICATION FORM SAMPLE ANSWERS
Lots of up-to-date sample application form questions, responses and tips on how to pass this initial stage.
PRACTICE ONLINE ROYAL MARINE OFFICER TESTS
Step-by-step information on how to pass the various recruitment tests.
INTERVIEW QUESTIONS & ANSWERS
Sample answers to the Royal Marines interview questions.
INSIDER SECRETS
Insider tips on how to answer the interview questions and advice on how you will be scored.
SCORE-BOOSTING STRATEGIES
Get ahead of the competition with unique and proven strategies 16 years in the making.
Customer Success Stories
Having helped 1,000s of aspiring Royal Marines Officer applicants for over 16 years, it is no wonder our customers love us…
“A very useful guide to preparing for the selection process for the Royal Marines. The book outlines every aspect of the selection process and offers insight and advice.” – How2Become customer
“Clear and concise, really gives you a great insight if you are set on becoming an officer.” – How2Become customer
“Very good book, bought for my son who expressed an interest in joining Britain’s Finest. Very useful resource for anyone joining the armed forces not just the Corps” – How2Become customer
“I’d recommend this book for anyone going for selection. Gave me a real edge in confidence. Get someone to do a mock interview for you using the specimen questions.” – How2Become customer
“Great resource if you want to get into the Royal Marines. Full of useful information and tips to help you through the process.” – How2Become customer
WHAT’S INCLUDED IN YOUR CAREER PACK?
Complete guidance to ensure you pass the ENTIRE recruitment process
Insider advice on how to complete the application form, including sample questions and answers
Previously successful application form responses that you can use to develop your own winning application
Revealed – Tips to help you successfully pass the POC
Discover exactly how you are assessed throughout the entire selection process (hint: understanding this will allow you to know exactly how the assessors want you to act at every stage)
A complete breakdown of the DAA and how you MUST prepare if you wish to succeed
Sample interview questions and guidance on how to answer each one of them
Practice questions and answers for the DAA. Practice the same skills you’ll be tested on so you enter your tests fully prepared
The importance of ensuring you meet the minimum eligibility requirements (and understanding life as a Royal Marines Officer)
Time-saving strategies and score-boosting methods verified by our panel of Armed Forces recruitment experts
How to get fit and be able to pass the fitness tests and medical test
PLUS…BONUSES!
BONUS #1
150-Page Interview Skills Insider’s Guide
FOR A LIMITED PERIOD ONLY we are able to give you our powerful 150+ page ‘Interview Skills’ downloadable resource free of charge. It is the perfect guide to help you prepare for the tough royal marines officer interviews!
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How to Get Marine Fit: Insider’s Guide
A concise online guide to show you how you can get “Marine fit” and see results quickly to ensure you pass the fitness test – even without a gym membership!
- Crafted with the fitness benchmark levels required of a Royal Marines recruit in mind, this guide provides an insider insight to the army fitness regimes you can follow.
- Your very own “Marines fit” workout regime created by former emergency service staff.
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BONUS #3
PLUS…30-Day Free Subscription Trial To The Online Royal Marines Officer Testing Platform!
As well as life-time access to the Royal Marines career resource, this product also includes a 30-day free trial to Online Royal Marines Officer Testing Platform (usually £9.99 + vat per month).
- 100s of questions on each element of the test to help boost your scores!
- Practice all of thetest questions under timed conditions using our online testing suite.
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Important: This powerful free trial costs £9.99 + vat every month for everyone else! You will get unrestricted access to all of the quick-win strategies to give you the advantage right away.
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*We want you to know: This is a subscription service that is charged at just £5.95 + vat per month after the 30-day trial expires. No minimum term. If you cancel before the 30-day trial ends, you will not be charged. Please see our terms for full details.
TOPICS AND INFORMATION INCLUDED WITHIN THIS GUIDE
HOW TO PASS THE officer SELECTION PROCESS
- How to pass the Royal Marines officer selection process.
- Top 10 Insider Tips and advice that will help you to succeed.
- How to pass the psychometric tests that form part of the AIB.
- Speed, Distance and Time (SDT) test questions.
- Verbal reasoning and numerical reasoning tests.
- Mechanical comprehension and spatial tests.
- The history of the Royal Marines.
INSIDER HINTS AND TIPS
- Selecting the right references.
- How to prepare for the Potential Officers Course and the Admiralty Interview Board interviews.
- Sample interview question responses that are guaranteed to improve your scores.
- Actual Royal Marines Officer interview questions.
- Sample responses to the interview questions.
- Insider tips on how to score high in the interview.
- Top interview tips and advice.
- Insider tips from those who’ve passed.
HOW TO PASS THE potential OFFICE course AND AIB
- How to conduct yourself at the POC.
- Preparing effectively to pass first time.
- What to expect during the POC.
- How to demonstrate the right qualities at the POC.
- The psychometric tests
- Essay writing skills.
- Leadership tasks and how to pass.
- Sample essay topics.
- Practice discussion exercise.
- Leadership practice and planning exercise skills.
- Passing the final interview at the AIB.
Features
You don’t just get advice on what to do. We will show you exactly how to pass the Royal Marines recruitment process.
Proven Guidance
Over 16 years’ of experience packed into on-demand insider recruitment guides that have helped 1,000s.
Unique Training
Includes unique recruitment training content built from the ground up and not found anywhere else.
Actionable Content
We don’t just share what you need to do, but also how you should do it with tips and strategies you can implement today!
Swipeable Templates
These templates are worth the value of the resource themselves – we give you the exact foundations you can use to build your application.
Your Guide To Success.
Our best-selling recruitment guide in a compact, accessible, online format to hold your hand throughout the entire selection process.
Created By Experts. Made For You.
With over 16 years’ of history behind us, we are the leaders in recruitment advice. So whether you want to understand the scoring criteria, learn what must go on your application form, recognise what not to say at the interviews, or practice and pass Defence Aptitude Assessment tests, you can access it all at your finger tips, today.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Simply put, this training works and is proven to help people like you to successfully join the Royal Marines. As a lifetime access member, you will not only benefit from our flagship guide (which has sold 1,000s of copies) but you’ll also get access to a dynamic portal of content that we update frequently with all the very latest information, practice material, and strategies that are helping people across UK to join the Royal Marines. With 1,000s of customers frequently thanking us for the career success we have helped them gain, and 16 years’ experience in providing recruitment and assessment centre training, you can rest assured knowing you are getting the best training material on the market.
This resource is our flagship career guide, designed to help anyone looking to join the marines and overcome the gruelling selection process.
It is ideal for those just staring out at the application stage, who want an “over-the-shoulder” guide to passing each stage of the process.
If you have already begun the selection process, then you’ll be able to pick up this guide from the exact stage you are at and follow the step-by-step guidance to passing the DAA tests, interviews, POC, fitness tests and more with confidence.
Whatever stage of the process you are at, you can be confident you’ll have all the strategies and tools you need to succeed.
Yes! With our guide you will be able to access training that has been helping applicants successfully become marines for over a decade.
At How2Become.com we like to do things a little differently. Instead of just giving you access to guides which explain how the selection process works, and what you need to do to pass, we teach you HOW to do it also. For example, we don’t just provide you with sample interview questions, we provide winning sample responses and step-by-step guidance on how to create your own successful answers. Whether you are thinking about applying, or you are half way through the selection process, this guide will ‘hold your hand’ step-by-step. Here is a full list of everything you will get within this resource.
You will get unlimited access to all of the content contained within these resources with no time restrictions! We understand that applying to join can be a long and stressful experience, that is why we want to take away that worry – you will get access whenever you need, whether it’s just for a week, or for a year, you will have full access to the resource whenever you need it. You will also have access to all future updates we make to this guide, ensuring you are getting the latest guidance.
When we launched How2Become.com we wanted to ensure our content would help as many people as possible no matter where they are, and we are achieving just that! We sell our resources to every country in the world, with 1,000s of customers in the USA, UK, India, Australia, Africa and more! All of our content is either written or spoken in English, with the content designed to be as universal as possible unless otherwise stated. Our resource is designed specifically for the officer selection process. We also have a specific resource if you are applying as a Royal Marines Commando. If you can’t see a guide you need in our huge catalogue, then just let us know and we will help if we can!
Whichever option you choose, you can be confident you are getting the latest and highest quality training to become an officer with the Royal Marines. All packages contain our flagship guides: ‘How to Become a Royal Marines Officer’ career guide, and the bonuses listed on this page.
The Gold package contains everything in Silver plus our Admiralty Interview Board online workbook. The platinum version is our most comprehensive. On top of the silver and gold products, you will also receive our online workbooks for Speed Distance and Times, Planning Exercises for the Armed Forces and our Psychometric and IQ online workbooks.
As soon as your order is complete you will be able to access all of the guides, training resources via your How2Become account! You can use any smart phone, PC, Mac, or tablet to access your materials.
Yes, absolutely! We get 100s of testimonials and comments each month from those that have used our training, thanking us for the help it has given them.
Having created recruitment guides for the last 16 years, we know how often selection processes change. That is why we keep close ties to those “in the know” and we regularly update our content. You will get the latest and best strategies to enable you to become an officer in the Royal Marines.
WHY BUY WITH HOW2BECOME?
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Firstly, these guides are created by us and our team of experts – we have all the answers to your questions and will help you succeed (like we’ve been doing for the last 16 years), we update our material frequently and you can contact us at any time with any questions you have.
Secondly, we provide exclusive bonuses with all our products that you won’t find anywhere else. These bonuses include free guides, powerful online testing suites and more!
Finally, our guides and training just work. Take a look at our TrustPilot page where you will see our rating of 4.9/5. There, our customers share their positive buying experiences and more importantly the time-saving success our resources have given them (hint: they are now serving as officers in the Royal Marines).
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