Will swimming be taught in the army?

Hi there,

Thank you for your question.

Though it is desirable for you to be able to swim before joining the Army it is not compulsory. You will have to take a swimming test as part of your basic training and those who do not pass it will receive extra training. If at the end of the course you are still not able to swim this will go onto your record with the recommendation that you continue swimming lessons in your unit.

The current military swimming test that is conducted in training is as follows:

Jump in at the deep end wearing Military clothing and tread water for 2 Mins.

Then swim 50m in under 4 Mins, not touching the sides or floor, using any stroke.

Then climb out unassisted.

I hope this answers your question.

Katie