Defence Ready

Consistency Matters. Part of your suitability assessment will likely be a psychological questionnaire consisting of dozens, if not hundreds, of personality based questions. Happily, this is multiple choice format but it can still be quite draining to complete. Today's quick tip on these psychometric assessments is to be aware that the test is looking out for consistency as much as the actual nature of responses. That is to say that you will find the same question being asked in a different way. If your answers are inconsistent, then this raises a red flag that you may not be answering honestly. So don't try to 'out think' the test. Also, take note of the types of questions asked. These may come up during a subsequent interview and if you've thought ahead you will be more confident in answering questions in person on the day.

Lighten up and don't take yourself too seriously. There is a common misconception that military recruiting are looking for the next Terminator. The fact is that most of your time is spent interacting with HUMANS. You need to demonstrate you can interact naturally and confidently with someone you've only just met. Relax, smile and laugh if someone says something funny. Be careful about laughing too much at your own jokes of course. It makes you seem insecure...

Do you know the primary weapons and equipment for your preferred service? These are the firearms, vehicles, radios and swords. You don't want to come across like a 'gun nut' but it can pay to at least know what these are. (ok, maybe not swords)

Do you have a test or interview coming up? Make sure you've got the instructions on where you need to be and who you must report to. If you're driving, make sure you know where the parking is and whether you need to pay for parking. What will traffic be like on the day and identify alternate routes in case of an incident on the road. This may seem over the top, but if you're not on time, nobody really cares why. They just know you are late. This is the harsh truth about military selection.

Tell me about yourself This is a very likely interview question. Unfortunately, the interviewer is not that interested in how you spend your holidays and whether or not you have pets. This is not a date. Here's a quick technique to construct an impressive and RELEVANT answer...E.E.E.P! Education, Employment, Experience and Proficiencies. Briefly touch on each of these points in a way that matches your skills to the requirements of the position you want. The key is relevance.

Believe in yourself. Have faith in your own abilities. Know that you have everything you need within you right now. If you develop the required winning attitudes you can achieve incredible things.

How do you address recruiting staff during your selection testing? Say for example, an Army staff member introduces themselves as ‘Sergeant Steve Smith’. This is tricky. Some people say that military personnel should only be addressed as rank if you’re ‘in the service’. This is not true though. Even if they give you rank and name, you are better off referring to them by their rank (unless an officer - see link below). This is until they tell you something like “Steve is fine”. After that you must use the name they gave. But until then, it's "Sergeant" You can check out the rank charts here at the link below:

"Oh you're in the military? That's cool. I wanted to do that when I was a kid. What do you make?" What do I make? I make holding your child's hand possible everyday. I make five minutes seem like a lifetime whilst in combat waiting for fire support. I contribute to ensuring your children have a future in a free country. I make going to work for your family's security a duty I will die for. I make myself get out of bed at all hours to risk my life to save people I've never met.... Today I might make the ultimate sacrifice to preserve your freedom. I make a difference. - Anonymous Share this if you support our troops!
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Develop a list of reasons. Understand that you're going to get knocked down in life. A Winning Attitude will help you get back up. One of the most tangible actions you can take is to develop a list of reasons why your goal is so important to you. Write down five reasons why you're willing to join the military. So when you face challenge and setbacks (which you will) you can draw on these reasons to inspire you to get back up and continue in your pursuit.

This week's question: "What is the pass mark required on the YOU session entry tests?" Answer: "Instead of a single PASS FAIL grade, there are different career paths opned up to you depending on your scores. So it is a more of a question of WHICH questions you seem to excel in and which questions you struggled with. Also, remember you are competing against hundreds of other applicants. People aiming to 'pass' are not likely to make it. Instead, you must aim for 'selection' which means outperforming your competition. So aim to blitz the exams and make an impression to the selection board that will get you a spot in the next recruit intake. John"

This quote is written on a plaque at the Australian Jungle Training Wing (School). It is followed by the remark that "this battle school is here to remind you of that oath." Regardless of which service you are applying for, it is important to understand that the ADF is looking for people who welcome hardship, challenge, sacrifice and adversity. Are you prepare to take that oath?

Set aside just one hour to plan out your preparation. Time in planning is seldom wasted. What tests do you have coming up? How much time do you need to study or train for them? What do you most need to work on?

"What do I wear during defence testing?" There are basically three dress types you'll need: Physical Testing: Sports attire - nothing fancy Written Exams: Business Casual Selection Boards: Business Professional... Check out the blog post below for ideas on what to wear for Business Casual and Business Professional:
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This week's question: "Is the eBook "Master the Defence YOU SESSION Exams" suitable for Air Force Pilot Testing?" The eBook is aimed at preparing you for the ADF Aptitude Test and officer selection boards. So if you're preparing for the initial YOU assessment then yes this would be appropriate to improve your test skills. There are separate training modules for the Officer Selection Board and Additional Pilot Testing day. You also get 50% OFF on these modules if you order the eBook "Master the Defence YOU SESSION Exams" You can read more here:

👩‍🏫One on One YOU Session Exam Tutoring here HERE! 👨‍🏫 🙌 PLUS the NEXT 20 Students in will save an additional 40% OFF! 🙌 GO TO: https://www.defenceready.com.au/tutoring/ AND USE COUPON CODE: TUTORME40 ⚠️- coupon code will expire after next 20 uses - ⚠️
... So yes, after dozens of requests, our one on one online tutoring service is now available!
Simply purchase your preferred tutoring package (1 - 3 sessions) and then book in with your preferred tutor.
Watch today's video here for full explanation on how to access the system 📽️
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This week's question: "How do you recommend I train for the beep test / multi-stage fitness test?" Answer: The beep test, or shuttle run test, is a very specific type of physical challenge. Simply doing more running will not optimise your result. The best way to train is to run the actual beep test. This may sound simple, yet our experience is that MOST applicants will not take the time to do this type of training. Running the beep test can be tough, as you may be surprised a...t how quickly you tire out. I really encourage you to take the time though as one of the hidden benefits is controlling your nerves on the actual test day. Running a beep test is tough enough. Yet it is even tougher if your heart is beating a 200 beats per minute before you even start because of nervousness! So download a recording and run the beep test. Not only will you increase your score but you will enjoy the benefit of keeping your cool on testing day and scoring at your best! *Always consult a medical professional before commencing any exercise program including a beep test.
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It doesn't matter which service you join - you're going to enjoy a friendly camaraderie (of insults) from the other two! Plus it's true - different corps and service can certainly have differing attitudes...