Hello

[Cai]

Hello everyone,
I'm Cai, im 17 (18 in May), and I aspire to be a deck cadet with the RFA, starting in September this year!
I dont know much about the RFA's and other Companies recruitment processes, and only have sproadic knowledge of what the dutied of a Deck cadet may be, but im looking forward to it anyway!

[The H]

Re: Hello

Hi and welcome to the forum! Glad to see another RFA chap! So have you done the AIB?

[Cai]

Re: Hello

Erm, sorry Acronyms are lost on me! I gather that im going to have to get used to quite a few in a sea career?

[The H]

Re: Hello

Haha, yes there are loads.. the AIB is Admiralty Interview Board.. which is the interview for all officers. But as you dont know what it means I will make the assumption that you are going in as a rating?

[size4riggerboots]

Re: Hello

Always wondered what that stood for! What does it actually involve, are there tests and fitness stuff as well as the talky bit?

[Cai]

Re: Hello

Ah there are plenty of acronyms in the RNLI that i have no idea about as well (I swear they have one for making a cup of tea!)
And no I have not had the AIB yet, Would like to know what it consists of though, since i believe it is a two day interview!

[The H]

Re: Hello

DAY1 - arrive 4pm.. introduction, dinner, socialise (get to know your team)

DAY2 - up early, morning tests (maths, english etc), practise planning exercises, fitness test, practise PLTs (Practical Leadership Tasks), dinner

DAY3 - Planning, PLTs, Interview - (These may be a different way around)

I could go into a lot more depth..

Have a look HERE

also.. quoted from TOOTP

I thought I'd make a post on here about my experience at the Admiralty Interview Board, so that it may help any who are applying. I found it quite difficult to find out information that wasn't only about RN, so hopefully this can provide some guidance for others. FYI - I am applying for cadet (ETO) and was there Tues - Thurs this week.

Day 1 - travelling down to the AIB at HMS Sutlan, which is not far from Gosport. Take cash with you, as you may want to buy snacks/ drinks from the vending machines and will need money at the pub. You should arrive there before 5, at which point you'll meet the rest of the people on your group and also who is on your board (there was 11 in total, with me on a board of 4 - one other RFA cadet and two RFA ratings). You'll be mixed with everyone from Royal Navy Reserves, to RFA, to people in service to Royal Marines. My advice is to be as social as you can, but stick with your board (in your interests to get along with them best). You'll get a little introduction from the killick on duty, and told what's happening the next day. Then it's dinner time (silver service - ooo!) and after that most go to the pub down the road (the Cocked Hat, avergae age 17!). Back by 11 at the latest, and in bed.

Day 2 - up 0615, breakfast 0645- 0715, then the psychometric tests start at 0745. Start with 100 questions on service knowledge test, which everyone found odd - there was alot of questions on helicopters and the RM. I wouldn't worry too much bout this though, as it's not worth too many points. Then it's verbal reasoning, numeracy and abstract reasoning tests. These are pretty straight forward, but most found they ran out of time on the numeracy tests as it's reasonably difficult maths. After this is the essay, given 5 questions to choose from and have to write two sides of A4 (though big margins so really not much). Sort of topics were "could the budget for trident be better spent on other defence projects?" and "should data protection or freedom of information be more important for the Government?" Pretty easy, write legibly, you have plenty of time and be consise as you really don't have much room. Finally you do a practice planning exercise, listening to an automated tape - though it's very simple.

Lunch time and change into boiler suit to go practice the PLTs. This is fun and you are shown and get a go of the techniques you will have to use on Day 3 for real. Pay particular attention to keeping your thumbs in, securing boards/spars/poles properly and the 4-6 overlap rule. This is fun and you do it til about half 3.

Then it's off to another gym to do the bleep test. I was unlucky that is was really warm and there was smoke coming in from outisde. There's no warm up, you just crack straight on. My tip is you have to miss 3 before they say you're out, so if you miss two push as hard as you can to make the 3rd and it'll reset it. Too many people in my group dropped out early. Once you've done this it's back to the AIB and you're done for the day. Recommend maybe not going to the pub and brushing up on your copmpetencies and service knowledge for day 3.


Day 3 - the big day and the one worth all the points!Depending on what board you're in you'll either start with the planning exercise or the PLTs. I had the planning exercise first, get given a situation and have to memorise as much as you can in 15 minutes. You then go in front of the board and are presented with a problem. You have 15 mins as a group to discuss the main aims and come up with a solution. You present this to the N2, your aims and your plan. You are then asked individually if you agree with the plan and why if not. Then it's the most intense part of the process - the grilling from the N2! I was first and had a barage of questions for about 4-5 mins about everything from the picking holes in the plan to details of who people are, what equipment you have and speed/ distance/ calculations (which I missed them all). He'll move on to others, and if another candidate gets their question wrong be prepared to answer the question. Once this is over, you are sent back to the waiting room and given 2 mins to look at the map only (with no notes) and taken in individually to present you're final plan in 2 mins. They will accept what you say and not ask you any questions. Once you've done that the planning exercise is over.

Get changed into boiler suit and off to the gym to do the PLTs. You'll go into a room and each be given you're individual challenge, given 15 mins to write down a plan and then off out in to the gym to do the team, leaderless task. My recommendation is be loud and cheesily encouraging. We completed ours, but you won't always. Then each candidate takes it in turn to lead their individual task. You'll be given your plan for 2 mins to refresh you memory. Be loud and tell your team exactly what you want them to do. Take the lead and be patronisingly telling them what to do. Don't worry if you get stuck or don't complete it, just keep talking and being encouraging. Once these are all over, it's back to AIB to get changed and wait for your interview.

You might be waiting a long time, but there's RN literature there to read or you can chat to the other candidates. When you go in front of the board, you'll be asked plenty of things - but the focus is on your motivation to join and competencies. I got asked what the RN does, why I wanted to join, what I knew about my training, etc. I then got told to point out 3 places on a map were the RFA were operating and what they were doing there. Then asked to name 6 pictures of RFA ships on the wall and what they were. Then then you get asked competencies questions - I got asked to name a time I'd had to deal with a problem, when I've set myself a challenge, when I've organised something, when I faced a fear, when I led a team and when I was part of a team. After that you're asked if you have any complaints about AIB and if there's anything you think the board should know - my recommendation is to use this to be positive about your experience and add why you think they should hire you.


And that's it, you'll be free to go and wait for your results (by phone or post). I'm still awaiting mine, but overall it was a positve experience and if I don't pass I know I couldn't have done much better.

[size4riggerboots]

Re: Hello

Bleedin' 'ek!!! Rather you lot than me!!

[Cai]

Re: Hello

Thank you very much!

[The H]

Re: Hello

For me, it was actually the most enjoyable part of the recruitment process so far.. its amazing how quickly you get to know the others there!!

[Cai]

Re: Hello

I?ve being sent to Wrexham to do the psychometric tests before hand though, not sure if i will still have to do them in the AIB?

[dawg]

Re: Hello

That's the RT (standard RN entry test)... you pass that, and then you may get an AIB date... sounds to me like you need to do a little more research before going. I think we've got some useful links for the RT on the wiki.

[The H]

Re: Hello

Well my advice for the AIB is..

Research as much as possible.. also on the RN, fleet Air Arm, and RM

and to be confident and enjoy it.. (but mainly the research)

[dawg]

Re: Hello

Bleedin' 'ek!!! Rather you lot than me!!

[understatement]Aye[/understatement].

• On the plus side, it's a pretty objective and predictable way of joining an organisation (especially if we assemble the most comprehensive AIB page on the web on our wiki!), and as long as you "hit the numbers", you can retake it without prejudice.
  
  On the downside, it's completely inappropriate and fairly irrelevant, given that you're not joining the RN; you're joining the civil service and merchant navy.

[controversy]It seems to be a way of any HR staff absolving themselves of any responsibility for any of the cadets who get through; and drags out the process unnecessarily for months.
Many suspect it to be foreplay before attempting to absorb the RFA into the RN in a forthcoming Strategic Defence Review, a last chance for failed RN officers at the top of the RFA to make it into the RN before they retire.[/controversy]

[Cai]

Re: Hello

Thanks for the tips, I think im going to dedicate this rainy sunday morning to some reasearch and practice excercises!