Originally Posted by
ASRAAMTOO
We KNOW that illegal discrimination took place during the selection of ORs, mainly due to the courage of one Gp Cpt and unusually an inquiry admitting it.
We do not know if there was a similar scenario regarding Officers and more specifically pilots.
I’m personally a little concerned that it MIGHT have done. As a first step the publication of CBAT and OASC scores compared to the number of applicants and their diversity may put this to bed.
RAF comment so far sticks to the line that all successful candidates met the minimum standard. It had failed to say the 40 that were selected were the best 40!
the RAF (and RN and Army) select their ORs on a cab rank principle: the first person the reach the minimum score is the first person to enter training. If you’re second in line, yet score twice as well, you’re still second to start training. The illegal action was not about picking un-qualified individuals, it was using race alone to move them up the queue.
officers are selected by score (either combined or individual). The scores are done by branch, which reflects the numbers of spaces available in training: in the RN joining as a logistics officer requires a significantly higher AIB score than being a pilot. We have previously lowered the “pass mark” to fill our submariner warfare officer - especially when it was a male British national only branch.