OASC Any Tips?
 

Hi I am soon going to OASC and I wondered if anyone had any experience or tips that they could give me. Thanks.

TangoMan :)

Tangoman

The interview will be in two halves. The first is all about you and should be fairly straight forward. The second tests your motivation to join, your knowledge of the RAF, current affairs and also your ability to reason.

So make sure you have made up your mind why you want to join up and what you want to do. Have reasons for what branches you've applied for. Read the branch specific literature so you know the training path and likely postings.

Read the papers and have a number of topics (five or six at least for both home and overseas) about which you can talk. Don't be surprised if the interviewer takes an opposite position on any topic - hey're testing your ability to think on the hoof.

If you haven't done a station visit yet - try and organise one asap.

Good luck

Ban yourself from ANY booze from the moment you arrive until the moment you get home again!

Don't get too stressed out by the whole experience, relax and try to be yourself.
Don't think that you have to act as everyone else is - they won't all get through. Do your homework (both current affairs and RAF), be keen and you'll have no problems! The aptitude tests are pretty taxing so polish up on your mental maths (speed, time and distance calcs will also help) and make sure you read the instructions properly.
Above all try and enjoy it - show them what you've got and don't be the grey man!

;)

As Dr S says .... be yourself. Don't listen to the braggards either - none of them got through selection on my board (many moons ago). Listen to what's being asked of you in group exercises and look before you leap. Try not to dismiss other people's suggestions out of hand - at least pretend to consider them before canning them! :D

As far as aptitude tests go, brush up on mental arithmetic, but don't try to improve your co-ordination by playing computer games .... you'd be better off playing a sport for hand/eye co-ordination.

Be positive in the interview and be prepared for Q's like "Why do you want to join?", "If you are unsuccessful in being selected for your preferred role, would you consider....?" "Why are we in Sierra Leone?" "How many GR4 Squadrons do we have, and where are they based/deployed?" "Why were there riots recently in Genoa?"
As for interview technique, I'm no expert, but try not to fidget, sit up straight and maintain good eye contact throughout.

Hope this helps.....and good luck!! :cool:

If you do find out why the hell we're in Sierra Leone, please could you tell the rest of us?

I found the "Know your IQ " type books from W.H. Smiths to be quite handy. Also Nintendos and such like are resonable for hand eye coordinaton - if going for pilot! Above all don't make it up if you don't the answer to something - just tell them you don't know. Lastly don't lie - however you are allowed to say that the Tonado F3 is a great bit af kit!

Although it would be inadvisable to say that any F series fighter after maybe the F4 could wipe the floor with the F3!! :D

And, no BEags....I haven't got a scooby why we're in SL either!!!!

So when are you due at oasc? I am due in Sept.

Cheers Guys loadsa good tips. I am off to OASC 21 - 24 Aug. Anymore info would be great.

Thanks TangoMan.

Tango Man

For God's sake be fit - you have to do the bleep test at the end of day 2. If you get an above average fitness result it can be worth an extra "click" on your final score. Yes, and you've guessed it, the opposite is true too.

Best of luck

:) Gear down and welded :)

My other E-mail is: [email protected] but they dont like Hotmail here.

TangoMan

Change your name to Douglas Bader - that'll impress the interview board! :p

I passed OASC as pilot, starting in a weeks time on 193 IOT, Aug 12th. Email me if you are still after more info.

193...! Blimey those were the days. I'm now down the road with IOT just a memory and its great - ignore all the cr@p at IOT, just a few more hoops to jump through! The rest of the airforce bears no comparison to Cranwell. :D

Thanks Douglas :D .

Good luck to everyone starting 193 next week!

Should have been there with you, but have an extended medical faff delaying me first to October, and now probably to December.....!

Hope you all enjoy it; at least you're catching some of the summer!

How is the old shoulder Wozza? I'm not sure I can cope with you bimbiling about the squadron derriding us for being student scum and generaly !!!!! pilots for too long.

see you in a week or so.

[ 09 August 2001: Message edited by: Flipper. ]

For OASC, take in all the information you can but above all, be yourself. These guys will see through you if you aren't (anyone who says they got away with it is probably lying).

And, ENJOY YOURSELF, don't just be seen to enjoy yourself!

Hola Flipper,

Thanks for the concern; it's broken apparently, and according to every doc I see, it's the previous doc's fault for not making me do more and more bizarre physiotherapy.

Looks like a nice 16 week break for me; hopefully no longer!

And you know how much I love you all for being student scum, and will be spending my holding time making sure that you all become excellent pilots by benefitting from my (slightly out of date) expertise.

We'll start by referring to the "auxilliary fuel pump" as the "booster pump." Okay?

Woz