The route for every service
- **Register and apply online** on the service's own recruiting site. Your nationality and age decide which roles you can apply for.
- **Aptitude tests:** the Defence Aptitude Assessment (Royal Navy, RAF) or the Army's tests at its Assessment Centre. Your scores decide which roles are open to you.
- **Medical:** a health questionnaire, then an examination. Some conditions rule out some roles.
- **Fitness test** to the standard for your role.
- **Interview** about your motivation, your knowledge of the role and the service's values.
- **Selection or assessment centre** for officers and some specialist roles.
- **Security checks, then an offer** of a place on basic training.
The Defence Aptitude Assessment (Royal Navy and RAF)
The DAA is made up of 6 different tests, all multiple choice. The Royal Navy sends the link to your candidate portal, valid for 14 days; the RAF lets you take it online on your own device or at an Armed Forces Careers Office. The RAF publishes a practice version on its recruitment site.
The tests cover reasoning and comprehension skills of the kind used across military trades: verbal and numerical reasoning, and technical comprehension such as mechanical and electrical principles. Different roles need different scores, so a stronger result opens more trades. Practise each section to time, because speed and accuracy both count.
Army soldiers: the Assessment Centre
After you apply, the Army invites you to an Assessment Centre for aptitude tests, a medical, a fitness assessment and an interview. Fitness standards are set role by role. For an infantry soldier, the published standards are a **mid-thigh pull of 76 kg, a medicine ball throw of 3.1 m and a 2 km run in 10 minutes 15 seconds**; other roles have their own figures on each role page.
Regular entry for an infantry soldier is from 16 to 35 years and 6 months; under-18s need parental consent. Check the age limits for your chosen role, as some differ.
See where you stand in 10 minutes
Take the free Army Soldier practice test. 15 questions, every answer explained.
Officers: a longer selection
- **Army:** the Army Officer Selection Board tests leadership, planning, problem solving, communication and fitness over several days, followed by the commissioning course at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst.
- **RAF:** officer and aircrew candidates go through the Officer and Aircrew Selection Centre at RAF Cranwell: aptitude tests, interviews, group and leadership exercises.
- **Royal Navy:** officer candidates sit the Admiralty Interview Board after the initial stages.
- Officer selection is about potential, not experience: assessors look for leadership, judgement, teamwork and the ability to think under pressure.
How to prepare
- Choose two or three roles first: the role sets the aptitude score, fitness standard and medical rules you must meet.
- Practise aptitude sections to time, especially the technical comprehension sections most candidates haven't seen since school.
- Train for the exact fitness test, with a plan that builds over 8 to 12 weeks.
- Learn your service's values and standards and be ready to give examples of when you've shown them.
- Research the role in depth: interviewers ask what the job involves, where you'll train and what life is like.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Defence Aptitude Assessment?
The aptitude test now used by the Royal Navy and the RAF: 6 multiple-choice tests taken online. Your scores decide which roles you're eligible for.
Does the Army use the Defence Aptitude Assessment?
The Army runs its own aptitude tests at its Assessment Centre. Confirm the current test with your recruiter or the Army's candidate portal, because names and formats change.
Can I apply to more than one service?
Yes, you can explore more than one, but you'll go through each service's own application, tests and medical. Many candidates choose a service after researching roles and speaking to recruiters.
How fit do I need to be?
It depends on the role. Each service publishes its standards; for an Army infantry soldier the 2 km run must be completed in 10 minutes 15 seconds, alongside a 76 kg mid-thigh pull and a 3.1 m medicine ball throw.
Official sources
- British Army: joining process
- British Army: infantry soldier
- British Army: physical entry standards
- Royal Navy: Defence Aptitude Assessment
- RAF Recruitment: Defence Aptitude Assessment practice test
Practice tests for these certifications
British Army Soldier (Regular Army)
Regular soldiers train for a trade (infantry, engineering, logistics, medical, signals and more) and are paid from the first day of training.
British Army Officer (Regular, via AOSB and Sandhurst)
Army officers lead soldiers from their first post as a Second Lieutenant, usually commanding a platoon or troop of around 30. You apply online, meet a senior recruiter, then attend the Army Officer Selection Board at Westbury: a 2-day Briefing where you learn the planning exercise and are assessed on fitness and practical tasks, then the residential Main Board with aptitude tests, a planning exercise, interviews, discussions, command tasks and fitness tests.
Royal Navy Rating (Regular, Non-Commissioned Sailor)
Ratings are the Royal Navy's non-commissioned sailors, working in engineering, warfare, logistics, medical, aviation and submarine roles.
RAF Enlisted Aviator (Airman / Airwoman, Regular)
Enlisted aviators are the RAF's non-commissioned personnel, working in engineering, air and space operations, cyberspace, intelligence, logistics, medical, ground combat and security, hospitality and people roles.
This guide is general information, checked November 2026, not legal advice. The recruiting organisation rules change; confirm with the recruiting organisation before you apply.
