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[OASC]

OASC Bulletin 27

CHANGE IN ACADEMIC REQUIREMENTS FOR ENTRY TO RAF IN APTITUDE RELATED BRANCHES AND AS OFFICERS.

The academic requirements for selection at OASC have recently been raised in 2 areas:

GCSE Mathematics for Aptitude Based Branches

All applicants for aptitude based branches are required to have achieved GCSE Mathematics Grade B, or equivalent.

Evidence shows that the likelihood of success in the numerical elements of the aptitude tests correlates strongly with achievement at Maths GCSE or equivalent: those that achieve Grade C generally fail to achieve the required standard in the aptitude tests – hence the numeracy requirement has been raised. In setting this standard, we are also aware that those taking the foundation level GCSE Maths will be unable to achieve the Grade B requirement, as this can only be reached through the Higher Tier syllabus.

In the context of the Scottish Standard Certificate in Education, the minimum standard is a Grade 2 in the Standard Grade Credit examinations.

Officer Entry – A-Level Requirement

The previous academic standard for entry to commissioned service was 2 A2-Levels at Grades A-E; this has now been raised to 2 A2-Levels at Grades A-C or equivalent. Whilst it could be argued that a Grade B and a Grade D should be aggregated together to equate the same level of achievement, our view is that this demonstrates an academic weakness in not achieving the Grade C minimum standard in each subject.

It has been noticed that those with A2 results at Grade D or below struggle with the analytical skills required of an officer. However, the majority of the population taking A-Levels achieve Grades C or above, and so that is the portion of the population we seek to recruit from, as this is expected to reduce the amount of additional instruction required to reach acceptable standards in training.

Please note that, although OASC will endeavour to answer generic questions that arise, we will not be engaging or commenting on individual cases. In those cases, the individual is advised to contact their nearest AFCO who will be able to deal with any queries. All information published is for information only. Information regarding a career in the RAF can be found at http://www.raf.mod.uk/careers