Day 1

Arrive
Unpack and then gather in the rest room – There is lots of information on the walls including types of ships, biographies of board members, copies of Navy News, guides to the AIB and the tests and a model of a ship (HMS Iron Duke). There are also big pictures of ships all through the building.
1655 Gather in the rest room
1700 Briefing with the Duty Senior Rate – in this you will be separated into your boards and given your candidate numbers. There is paper and a pen on the table in front of you to write this down. You are also told the names of the three officers on your board, there will be the Board President (a Captain), a Commander and a Lieutenant. There are usually 4 people on each board and you will be sat with your boards around the table. You will be with the people on your board for all group exercises.
Issue Overalls and Training shoes – you also get given a drinking flask. You are also given a bag to carry everything in.
1830-1915 Dinner – The first night you will be shown where to go by the Duty Senior Rate so meet in the rest room 5mins before.
After dinner you can have shore leave if you are over 18. (This means you are allowed to leave the base and go to the pub in the town. You may be watched here.
2300 Lights out

Day 2

0615 Wake up alarm sounds – You cannot really miss this it’s very, very loud.
0645-0715 Breakfast
0725 Gather in the rest room
0730 Welcome Brief
0740 Test battery starts – Naval Knowledge Test. This is a test which shows how much you know about the navy the test you take depends on which specialization you have applied to enter, how old you are and how much experience of the Navy you have. It is marked in relation to how well the other people on the AIB have performed. Most of the stuff on this test can be found on the Navy website. These are all multiple-choice questions.
The Verbal Test. This tests your English and Verbal skills, it isn’t hard and all questions are multiple choice.
Non-Verbal Test. In this test, you are shown shapes and have to work out different things about the series of shapes.
Numeracy Test. This tests how good you are at mental arithmetic, algebra and graphs and statistical information.
Instructions Test. This tests how you follow instructions. It is not multiple choice and will be negatively marked if you don’t follow the instructions properly.
Directions and Distances Test. This tests spatial awareness. In this test you are given a set of directions and asked in what direction you will be facing or where you will be after following the instructions. You are not allowed a calculator or any scrap paper to draw on.
Essay. For this you are given 45 minutes and 2 sides of paper. There is a choice of 4 topics such as euthanasia, global warming or children in schools. This is not so much a test of how much you know about the subject but your reasoning and communication skills.
1145 Practice Planning Exercise – In this you listen to a recording taking you through what will happen in the planning exercise and you are given some tips.
1345 Transport to PLT Practice – For this you are in overalls and trainers and have to take a towel and sports kit for the sports test after in the bag you are given. During this you are shown all the equipment and how to use it all, you are also given a chance to try it out. I tried three times to swing across the water with the rope but didn’t manage it and also managed to make one of the men taking the board fall in too. Oops. Emma moment!
1530 Transport from PLT practice to MSFA – You then do a bleep test (or multi stage fitness assessment). The gym is boiling hot.
1630 Jog back to the AIB – It isn’t very far but very knackering after doing the bleep test.
1830 Dinner
2300 Lights Out

Day 3

0615 Wake up alarm sounds
0645-0715 Breakfast
0735 Gather in the Rest Room in suits for Planning Exercise – In the planning exercise you are given a written brief containing the details of a fictitious setting which you have 15 minutes to study. Your group is then taken into the boardroom and the Lieutenant introduces a problem. Then you have 15 minutes to discuss with your group possible solutions and agree on one to present to the board. The Lieutenant then questions everyone in turn on how well they know the scenario and whether they support the group solution. She also asks many speed, time and distance questions.
0915 Transport to PLT Gym – In the Practical Leadership task you are given 15 minutes to study the task you are set on paper and work out a solution. You are then taken to the task and you are stood at one end and the rest of your team at the other. You have to brief them on the task and what you plan to do. Then you run round and start building bridges and cantilevers with planks of wood and ropes. You need a loud voice for this task so I had no problem. If you don’t have enough members on your board (3 instead of 4) you will have a ‘stick’ who is a member of the staff who will not talk or give suggestions but when ordered to will hold or support things.
1030 Transport Back to AIB
1100 In waiting rooms for interviews – The interview lasts about 30 minutes. The Lieutenant starts the questions and focuses on courage and values. She asks about the sort of challenges you have faced and how you cope when things don’t go according to plan. Then the Commander asks questions about why you want to join the Royal Navy and how much you have found out about your chosen career. They also ask about how much you know about the Royal Navy. I was asked about a ship I had visited (HMS Portland, a type 23 frigate) and what sort of weapons systems it has because that is what I am interested in. There was also a picture of a Trafalgar Class submarine. I was asked to identify it and what is special about it (it carries trident missiles). Last, the Board President asks about when you have been part of a team and in charge of a group and had to complete a task. He asks several questions for which you need an example.
Normally after completing the interview and upon the Board reaching their decision you would be called back into the interview room and told whether you have passed, successful candidates will then complete a medical. However, as I was applying for a school and there were limited places I went to do the medical and was told by post later whether I had passed.