how long does it take to become an officer and can you train for it instead of training to be a soldier?

Hi there



You can direct entry as an officer. There is an Army Officer Selection board that must be passed before you can go to Sandhurst. Sandhurst training lasts 44 weeks and on completion you complete phase 2 officer training with your chosen Corps or trade. Phase 2 can be as little as a few weeks to 6 months.



Hope this helps

What exactly do you have to do in the Army Officer Selection and how long do you have to wait for to find out if you get into Sandhurst?

AOSB has a series of tests that include planning, and interview and a physical aspect that test your suitability to become an officer. More info can be found at https://jobs.army.mod.uk/how-to-join/army-assessment/officer/



It’s been a long time since I took mine but I seem to remember finding out pretty quickly. Then it’s just a case of being loaded onto the next intake that your are available for and that has space.

Do you do the same test for all the different regiments or is it the same regardless what section you want to go into?

At AOSB you are selected for your suitability as an officer, agnostic of regimental influence. There is a slightly different board if you want to become a professionally qualified officer such as a member of the clergy or a doctor.



You choose your regiment when you are at Sandhurst and are selected or not based on your performance there. If you do not get selected by the regiment you wish to join then you go through clearing and seek to pick up a place in a regiment that has spaces, ideally finding one that is a good fit for you.

Thank you very much. I saw that you are a Marketing officer, what does that include?

Hi there, so marketing is not a specific role within the Army. I am a Main Battle Tank Commander by trade but as an officer you go out of Regiment at times to undertake staff roles that help other functions in the Army and allow it to run. I am very tall so as safety rules have changed over the years I have been unable to go back to tanks. I have subsequently applied for staff jobs that have been in Public Relations and Marketing and have carved myself a new niche and a way to move forward in my career, despite not being able to go back to tanks. I have deployed all over the world (China, USA, loads of Europe, the Falkland Islands and Mongolia to name a few) as a media officer, I have spend time managing the Army social media, I’ve had command of a combat camera team and I have deployed on operations in a media role. When the adverts say there are 100s of careers to choose from they really mean it! I have proven that you can have a career that isn’t advertised by being clever and choosing jobs you are interested in. This is easier as an officer than as a soldier but still achievable. My current role is as a marketing officer working with Recruiting Group. So all things that you see that encourage people to join the army etc, I have had a part to play in them, my job is to check content before it goes out for any security concerns and to ensure there are no mistakes. I am also responsible for resourcing all of the content that goes out, for example if we need a helicopter to film then it is my job to negotiate with the Air Corps To get one to film. It’s a really rich and diverse job and really enjoyable as I get to experience everything as it’s our job to show off all parts of the army.



Hope this gives you an idea of what my job Is and how I got here.