This was a heads-up to a mate from home who was intending to go and to the RCB – the entry test for Sandhurst.

Top Tips for RCB
1. Read the newspapers cover to cover. Get an in-depth grasp of current affairs before going to Westbury.

2. Know how to do a written appreciation. The precise format is not required but be aware of all the salient points:

Mission Analysis (what am I trying to achieve?)
Tasks (what tasks must I do to achieve the mission?)
Factors (Time, space, resources available, etc)
Courses of Action (devise several options and consider each objectively)
Decision (choose one option and know why you chose it)
Develop plan (elaborate on the decision and plan in detail)
Prioritise correctly, and remember that saving life is always top of the list.

3. Interviews. You’ll participate in about four interviews (or even more) during RCB. Try to relax and, above all, be yourself – they will know if you decide to do otherwise!

4. Assault Course. This is one thing I forgot to mention. You do an assault course which is timed. It is not like anything you’ve done before, as they’re not aiming to test your fitness – only your ability to react under stress. I think you have about 3 mins to attempt as many obstacles as possible. They’ll walk you round the course beforehand, so try to think each obstacle through at this stage. One obstacle is called the “Window Jump”. This is basically a wooden door with an open window at about chest height. It is a bottle test: you’ve got to run at it and dive through in one go – dip out on this one, and it’s a good chance that you won’t pass RCB!

5. Several times during RCB, you will be hit with so many facts in one go that you’re brain will go into information overload and seize up. I know because it happened to me. Stop, take a deep breath, and relax for a second. If your assessor sees you do this, it’ll probably even work in your favour! They are looking for people who do not flap under pressure – or failing that, people who can control the flapping.

6. Command Tasks. As I have already said, there are two types of command task: leaderless and led. Leaderless is quite hard to do, especially if you are one of those who tends to jump in and take charge. Although there is no formal leader, there is a bit of room for impressing your leadership style on the tasks without appearing too forceful. Don’t be the ‘grey man’ – be seen to participate in all aspects of the task. Have a sense of urgency: if you are given a time limit, try to stick to it. Sometimes they ask you how long you think you’ll need to do the task – before allocating slightly less to you! Be seen to take advice from others as well as give it. And finally, when everyone decides to voice their opinions at once, do not be afraid to tell everyone to be quiet for a moment to regain control of the situation. Doing command tasks is something that gets easier with practice. So we’ll try to do some before you go on Tuesday.