Hi there,
I got a CAT 1 in my RCB briefing, what can i expect for RCB? My main concern is the fitness. Is there anyone out there who can tell me what exactly I'll have to do and what exactly will be required of me?
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RCB
Yeah, I passed very recently! 
Basic fitness test is the first thing that happens. You have to do:
44 pressups in 2 minutes
50 situps in 2 mintes
Get 10.2 on the bleep test.
Was expecting them to the pass score, but in fact they're maximums, so it's not that difficult. To impress I would say do the pressups all in one go, I didn't but Dept Pres still said he thought I was obviously prepared. To clarify, I did complete everything.
The other fitness is the assult course. I would say work on pull ups, and if you can do them well it'll be fine. The 8ft wall, rope climb (is only small) and another random obstacle all require a decent amount of upper body fitness, and I just felt like a bit of a tool doing a couple of them only on my second attempt. You've got to get round as many obstacles as you can in 3 mins. I did everything once in the time, some people didn't manage that, quite a few more and a royal marine reserve did it nearly twice - repect. I haven't seen general feedback yet, but I think they thought I was comfortably fit enough, although certainly not spectacular.
Hope that helps.
Go for it, be confident, but if you don't have anything decent to say be quiet because it will be obvious. And don't be polite! (but not a complete nob either)
Basic fitness test is the first thing that happens. You have to do:
44 pressups in 2 minutes
50 situps in 2 mintes
Get 10.2 on the bleep test.
Was expecting them to the pass score, but in fact they're maximums, so it's not that difficult. To impress I would say do the pressups all in one go, I didn't but Dept Pres still said he thought I was obviously prepared. To clarify, I did complete everything.
The other fitness is the assult course. I would say work on pull ups, and if you can do them well it'll be fine. The 8ft wall, rope climb (is only small) and another random obstacle all require a decent amount of upper body fitness, and I just felt like a bit of a tool doing a couple of them only on my second attempt. You've got to get round as many obstacles as you can in 3 mins. I did everything once in the time, some people didn't manage that, quite a few more and a royal marine reserve did it nearly twice - repect. I haven't seen general feedback yet, but I think they thought I was comfortably fit enough, although certainly not spectacular.
Hope that helps.
Go for it, be confident, but if you don't have anything decent to say be quiet because it will be obvious. And don't be polite! (but not a complete nob either)
RCB
Been there, done it, went to RMAS May 2002.
We didn't do another 500m run as I recall, but we did do a bleep test on the tennis courts next to the bldg where you do the press-ups and pull-ups.
If you're category one just keep being yourself, but push yourself fitness wise and keep reading the right newspapers. The main thing at RCB and Sandhurst was command appointments, fitness wasn't that big a deal if you were meeting the standards.
I didn't really do any extra preparation after the briefing to be honest, fitness and current affairs meant everything to me so I guess it came naturally.
I did great on the RCB but ultimately did not pass out of Sandhurst six months later. Feel free to PM anytime and I'll tell you everything I know. Good luck!
df2inaus
We didn't do another 500m run as I recall, but we did do a bleep test on the tennis courts next to the bldg where you do the press-ups and pull-ups.
If you're category one just keep being yourself, but push yourself fitness wise and keep reading the right newspapers. The main thing at RCB and Sandhurst was command appointments, fitness wasn't that big a deal if you were meeting the standards.
I didn't really do any extra preparation after the briefing to be honest, fitness and current affairs meant everything to me so I guess it came naturally.
I did great on the RCB but ultimately did not pass out of Sandhurst six months later. Feel free to PM anytime and I'll tell you everything I know. Good luck!
df2inaus
"Poor Ike, it won't be a bit like the Army. He'll find it very frustrating. He'll sit here and he'll say, 'Do this! Do that!' And nothing will happen."
Harry Truman
Harry Truman
RCB
Nimrod,
The RCB is a time-tested way of selecting officer candidates and the quality of men in my platoon proved that the right men get through. I happened to find the challenges and pressure at the RCB to be immensely easier than they turned out to be at RMAS for whatever reason and decided to attend accordingly. I was a bit restless in the TA because we weren't pushed that much fitness and drill wise, and I wanted out of my full-time job badly at the time (teaching) and went to RMAS.
In hindsight I should have stayed in the TA long enough to go on courses and Full-Time Reserve Service (FTRS) which presented the challenges I was seeking. A member of my TA unit recently returned from Bosnia.
Will join the Canadian Signals Reserve shortly before heading back into the TA in a few years.
I left RMAS because training exposed that I did not have or did not display certain qualities demanded of an officer. I came from a TA soldier background and found I just didn't enjoy being in command. I knew I was too old to change my ways at 29 so I left.Dont want to be nosey but how come you didnt pass out?
The RCB is a time-tested way of selecting officer candidates and the quality of men in my platoon proved that the right men get through. I happened to find the challenges and pressure at the RCB to be immensely easier than they turned out to be at RMAS for whatever reason and decided to attend accordingly. I was a bit restless in the TA because we weren't pushed that much fitness and drill wise, and I wanted out of my full-time job badly at the time (teaching) and went to RMAS.
In hindsight I should have stayed in the TA long enough to go on courses and Full-Time Reserve Service (FTRS) which presented the challenges I was seeking. A member of my TA unit recently returned from Bosnia.
Will join the Canadian Signals Reserve shortly before heading back into the TA in a few years.
"Poor Ike, it won't be a bit like the Army. He'll find it very frustrating. He'll sit here and he'll say, 'Do this! Do that!' And nothing will happen."
Harry Truman
Harry Truman
-
spearmint_rhino
- Member
- Posts: 2
- Joined: Wed 21 Jan, 2004 10:05 pm
- Location: at my PC
Hi guys,
I passed the briefing not too long ago with a Cat 2(6). The wait is to allow me time to get fit. With the main board coming up at the beginning of April one of the other key areas of preparation is the planning exercise. I did ask my Sponsor if they could help but they said they could not be seen to coach people, it's supposed to be reflection on ones ability on the day... etc. Which is fair enough and understand all said reasons. But that doesn't mean you if you have a maths test you don't look at any maths before hand!
In short does anyone know of places where I could get a few practise planning exercises or of any other good preparation. I would be more than happy to share/pool resources. Please PM me.
Thanks,
SR
I passed the briefing not too long ago with a Cat 2(6). The wait is to allow me time to get fit. With the main board coming up at the beginning of April one of the other key areas of preparation is the planning exercise. I did ask my Sponsor if they could help but they said they could not be seen to coach people, it's supposed to be reflection on ones ability on the day... etc. Which is fair enough and understand all said reasons. But that doesn't mean you if you have a maths test you don't look at any maths before hand!
In short does anyone know of places where I could get a few practise planning exercises or of any other good preparation. I would be more than happy to share/pool resources. Please PM me.
Thanks,
SR
RCB
A little trick I used to do to prepare me for the planning ex was to do the speed = distance / time problems as I was driving down the motorways.
Whilst I was figuring out how long it would take me to get to the M25 from Northampton I'd be looking at the fuel level in the car and calculating my range etc.
You've found at the briefing that most of the numbers will be easy if you remembered your multiplication tables.
eg. a land rover will do 15 mph cross country and 30 on a dirt track and Raz-El-Folda is 60 km away from the hospital......
Whilst I was figuring out how long it would take me to get to the M25 from Northampton I'd be looking at the fuel level in the car and calculating my range etc.
You've found at the briefing that most of the numbers will be easy if you remembered your multiplication tables.
eg. a land rover will do 15 mph cross country and 30 on a dirt track and Raz-El-Folda is 60 km away from the hospital......
"Poor Ike, it won't be a bit like the Army. He'll find it very frustrating. He'll sit here and he'll say, 'Do this! Do that!' And nothing will happen."
Harry Truman
Harry Truman
RCB planning exercise
Sorry, that was meant to be "60 miles."eg. a land rover will do 15 mph cross country and 30 on a dirt track and Raz-El-Folda is 60 km away from the hospital......
It is unlikely you will have to do any conversions, we certainly didn't have to 2 years ago, that's what tactical aide memoires (TAM) are for
There are two things that caused candidates a great deal of stress that didn't have to:
1) Not being able to do mental math while you're presenting your plan to the Major, they tend to dispute your course of action and you must defend it with confidence
2) Lack of attention to detail
eg. one guy (who's now a good officer in the PWRR) got nailed b/c he suggested leaving a casualty and an attendant on a mountain while the others raced for help, but he forgot it was January, thus leaving the casualty vulnerable to hypothermia, and the Major was all over him, the difference is the candidate did not flap
"Poor Ike, it won't be a bit like the Army. He'll find it very frustrating. He'll sit here and he'll say, 'Do this! Do that!' And nothing will happen."
Harry Truman
Harry Truman
RCB
Adam_R,
The following book will give you all the service knowledge you will possibly need at the RCB.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASI ... 99-4531847
If the link doesn't work, search for "The British Army - A Pocket Guide" by Charles Heyman (ed).
NB. Know "The Infantry" section inside out, particularly Light Role Infantry Battalion - organisation. Should you go to RMAS your MK1 test will have a lot of questions based on it.
Two challenging questions I remember required knowing things like
1) Sweden is not a NATO country
2) the Royal Logistic Corps operates the landing craft.
Obviously one requires knowledge of current affairs and politics, the other I would never have answered without reading the Pocket Guide. The pocket guide may be for sale in the Candidates' Mess during the briefing.
Hope this helps.
The following book will give you all the service knowledge you will possibly need at the RCB.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASI ... 99-4531847
If the link doesn't work, search for "The British Army - A Pocket Guide" by Charles Heyman (ed).
NB. Know "The Infantry" section inside out, particularly Light Role Infantry Battalion - organisation. Should you go to RMAS your MK1 test will have a lot of questions based on it.
Two challenging questions I remember required knowing things like
1) Sweden is not a NATO country
2) the Royal Logistic Corps operates the landing craft.
Obviously one requires knowledge of current affairs and politics, the other I would never have answered without reading the Pocket Guide. The pocket guide may be for sale in the Candidates' Mess during the briefing.
Hope this helps.
"Poor Ike, it won't be a bit like the Army. He'll find it very frustrating. He'll sit here and he'll say, 'Do this! Do that!' And nothing will happen."
Harry Truman
Harry Truman
-
spearmint_rhino
- Member
- Posts: 2
- Joined: Wed 21 Jan, 2004 10:05 pm
- Location: at my PC
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liverpoolirish
- Member
- Posts: 54
- Joined: Fri 08 Aug, 2003 11:36 pm
- Location: Isle of Wight
- Contact:
The book in question is entirely online at http://www.armedforces.co.uk/
Strange, I went through TCB and was at the Sausage Factory last week for TA Phase 3 and was considering getting out of teaching for the regulars.....
Bryn
Strange, I went through TCB and was at the Sausage Factory last week for TA Phase 3 and was considering getting out of teaching for the regulars.....
Bryn
I have no recollection of the height to be honest but I was 6'1'' with a pretty strong upper body and I remember hitting that wall at a quick run without the slightest hesitation.Better to focus and just jump straight up without run.
If you're doing a reasonable number of chin-ups and cable rows in the gym and you do not hesitate on the RCB assault course, which is nothing compared to the real thing, you'll be fine.
"Poor Ike, it won't be a bit like the Army. He'll find it very frustrating. He'll sit here and he'll say, 'Do this! Do that!' And nothing will happen."
Harry Truman
Harry Truman
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Guest
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