Back in the middle 80s, I was asked by the OASC board what was happening in Grenada. Ignoring the fact that the US had invaded a commonwealth country, I chose to reply that they had just put the rentals up !
Sqn Ldr WRAF nearly choked, Wg Cdr very experienced smiled. I got through and am not doing too badly now. However, not too sure how it would be interpreted today.
Be yourself - Cranwell teaches you how to be an officer. :ok:

RobinXe is out of date. His/her information about the FT is incorrect. The individual who insisted that individuals stopped at excellent is, apparently, no longer in post and the present incumbent is prepared to let candidates run till they drop. The FT has also been updated after a review of the level of fitness required for OACTU, and the number of shuttles required to reach each level has been increased. You need to get 11+ to achieve excellent and therefore gain 4 points toward your overall score.

Overall, OASC can afford to be very choosy and, as has been suggested throughout this thread, you will have to do well in all aspects of the selection procedure to get selected.

Good Luck to all on their way to OASC in the short term. It is not going to be easy.

Kipper.

kippermate, how can my information be out of date when I was there last week!? Thats the 10/11th February!! The OASC groups there while I was had exerienced exactly the same thing I had in december.

The multi-stage fitness test is not exclusively an RAF thing, and the suggestion of adding shuttles to each level is just ludicrous. The test starts at 8.5km/h and increases by 0.5km/h every minute, each minute being a level, it is a well established, scientific test with high correlation between achieved level and quantitative VO2max results, I'd find it very hard to believe that they'd fiddle with it at all, let alone in the last 6 days!

Well RobinXe what may've been the case for you in December may not be the case for future applicants, whether it be from this week or two months down the line. As I said a boarding officer from OASC briefed the people on my UAS going to OASC this year that the FT was not going to be stopped until the last person stops running.

I don't normally labour a point but I wouldn't want any OASC candidate to go there with any incorrect ideas of what he/she will have to do especially this year with such fewer slots available.

Would recommend The Week - especially the "It Must be True I Read it in The Tabloids" section

Good Luck:ok:

Yes, I was told the same thing before I went, they still stopped it though. I'd guess that candidates could get the official story from their AFCO, and this thread is more about the info gleaned from those in the know about what actually happens.

Be that as it may, one of the keys to achieving goals is to have them well defined. I can assure you categorically that the MSFT has not changed in the 30 or so years since its inception as a training tool, beyond the tendancy of magnetic tape to stretch over time :p

If you can run for approx 10:40, starting at 8.5km/h and increasing speed every minute by 0.5km/h then you can get your 10.6 on the fitness test, allowing for some shuttles that dont fit exactly within the minute and the effort of turning.

I certainly wouldn't want anyone going in with misconceptions of the standards required, and I certainly wouldn't advocate complacancy in your training if you can reach the required level already, do continue to push yourself harder, it can only make it easier. Likewise, its important that they do know what is required of them, not just "It's changed, it's got harder, be afraid!" which is of absolutely no use to anyone.

11.7 IS now excellent. I spoke to a boarding officer from OASC on 13/02/04. What has been said is correct, and that the person whom set the 10.6 stop is no longer in post. I was there in December also, and was stopped at 10.6. This HAS changed.

Yeah, 10.6 was never 'excellent', it was (and I believe is) however the level you need to achieve at some point before starting IOT, whether that is OASC, fam visit or Day 1 of IOT. I believe its termed 'Average'.

If you're allowed to run further, and you can, its certainly a great opportunity for those who can to pick up some extra credit, though it wont get you through if you're weak on other areas, nor will it fail you if you're competitive everywhere else (I know this first hand :p). I'd advocate considering it as a 'tie-breaker', and prepare accordingly; ie as best you can, but not at the cost of other preparation for the interview etc. Do bear in mind you have to pass the interview before you even get a chance to do the fitness test, and should you fall 'Below Average' and are good enough elsewhere you will get a chance to do it again. Remember, fitness is the one aspect that everyone can improve on.