A great insight to the Royal Marines Potential Officers Course and Admiralty Interview Board (AIB) filmed in 1993 POC as of 2014 DAY 1 Receive POC briefing, clothing and boots. Meet other POC candidates and view the facilities that will be available during your training. Gym tests (remember to bring and wear non-slip trainers) Progressive shuttle run (the ‘bleep test’): run between two lines, 20 metres apart, at a pace dictated by bleeps, beginning at level 1. Each level has several shuttles at the same pace and the pace gets quicker at the start of each new level. Your target is to reach level 13. Press ups: complete as many full press ups as possible in two minutes. 60 press ups will get you a maximum points. Sit ups: complete as many full sit ups as you can in two minutes. 85 sit ups will get you maximum points. Overhand grasp pull ups: carried out on a wooden beam, your target should be eight quality pull ups. 16 pull ups will get you maximum points. You will need to do the pull ups to bleeps for both the upward and downward movements to make sure you are moving correctly and not using momentum to help you. Essay: you will write a short essay in one hour on a current affairs topic that we will provide. We are looking for your knowledge of defence-related issues, your ability to reason, justify your arguments and communicate them clearly in writing. Finally, you will have an interview with your course corporal or course officer. This interview is for you to show you are serious about a career in the Royal Marines and that you have a broad understanding of the Corps. To do well in this, study the literature given to you by your Careers Adviser. DAY 2 The second day is quite gruelling and starts off with the confidence test and assault course. This is carried out in all weather conditions and you will be outside and active for over two hours. It's your opportunity to show your determination and stamina. You will then go on to do: A high obstacle course (or an element of the Tarzan Assault course if on the POC) involves climbing ladders, moving across ropes and negotiating obstacles up to 30 feet off the ground. There is also a timed run around the obstacle course. Listen and watch your demonstrations carefully as this will save you time and reduce your chance of injury. Presentation: you will deliver a three minute presentation on a topic of your own choice to your course members without using any visual aids. This allows us to assess how confidently you can give your views to a small audience. Remember to plan your presentation, as three minutes is a short time to clearly explain a subject. Endurance course: this is the last physical test. It lasts about 3 hours and covers over 2.5 miles of cross-country ground in Woodbury Common (four miles from CTCRM). You will tackle tunnels and water obstacles – which includes the ‘sheep dip’ (submerged tunnel) before going on a run through country lanes. The endurance course will test your dedication. We will expect you to keep going while staying positive, despite being wet, cold and tired. Discussion exercise: you will take part in a group debate on a few controversial and topical issues, which will let us see how well you can formulate ideas and put your point of view across when you are tired. We will see how well you listen to others and how you react to them, particularly when they disagree with you.

• published: 01 Oct 2014
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