Application Process - Commonwealth Candidate

[ShazoozleBamboozle]

Hello everyone! Sorry if I do post this in the wrong area, first time here. Right, the reason I'm starting this is because there are plenty of Commonwealth candidates who usually post up questions regarding this and at first, like them I was scavenging through this forum to find something similar to help me on my journey. There are many similar posts like this, but they are usually non-commonwealth candidates. To also give you a quick heads-up, I have been already resident within the country for roughly 3 years, so it might have a faster acceptance/approval rate than if you were applying from out of country as a commonwealth candidate.

Submission of Interest (02/11/2020)

On a cloudy.. rainy.. wet day.. decided to go onto the Royal Navy website and check out the available roles to commonwealth candidates (Commonwealth Jobs & Roles), to see if any appeal to me and whether I should consider putting in an application on the spot.

After going through, decided that there were nothing that really appealed to me apart from Mine Warfare Specialist, which also happened to be a priority role at the time (unaware if it still is in priority recruitment), but I did not want to make a hasty decision and decided to have a quick look around the role and understand it a little bit better before submitting anything further. So I decided to sleep on it and check it out the next day. After waking up the next morning, got a nice cuppa' (trust me, you got to get used to the lingo innit) decided to head over to these forums, have a chat with a local AFCO and then decided to read a bit further regarding MWS (Mine Warfare Specialist) and it's job.. I did see a lot of negatives but I found the positives outweighed them.

So I went ahead and decided to submit an application on the website as a Mine Warfare Specialist on the 2nd of November, 2020, however, I knew this was going to be a very long journey due to the fact that we were amidst a pandemic and it was not getting any better at the time.. so I knew I was in for a long run.

First Contact (05/11/2020)

So after being prepared for a long wait, I was quite shocked to say that I received a call on the morning of the 5th of November, 2020, by a CA (Career's Advisor) who had just mentioned that they have received my application and are going to be taking it further in the next few days, but in the meantime they will be requiring a couple of more documents/information being filled out on the portal, this includes:

1. Sports, Hobbies and Interests Form
2. Request Scan and Upload Birth Certificate
3. Scan and Upload your Overseas Documentation (These included references, police background check, a letter to confirm you have no national service liability and a letter to confirm where you will be staying whilst in the UK - I did not have issues with this as I was already in the UK)

The CA also mentioned that they would be putting the status of my application "On-hold" but this does not mean that the application isn't being moved forward, it is just a method of them keeping track of all Commonwealth applicants, as you can expect they have plenty of people applying from all over, so please avoid asking them stupid questions about this as they've dealt with plenty of candidates before you.

So I got on my way and completed all the required documentation, and send it off via the online application portal, once that was done I was just sitting put and waited for the next contact they made with myself.

Second Contact - (02/12/2020)

After completing all of the documentation/information forms they required and a short wait, I was finally contacted by my CA and she said that they are happy with the initial screening questions that I had submitted and had a date available for a Psychometric Test, they mentioned three available dates and I was eager and available since work was ready to offer my the day off in order to get this complete (nice of them, I know, it pays off to be a kiss-ass).

So I booked the earliest date available for the test and got on my way to preparing for the Psychometric Test, all I can say for this is please please don't stress as much as you think you should? Just complete as many practice tests as possible, if you put in the work, you will be able to smash it easily. Most people say it's basic GCSE's but I think it was easier than GCSE's, and trust me, I'm dumb and if I could smash the test, so can you.

As soon as I got off the phone with the CA and having a date agreed upon, I received an abundant number of emails to notify me that I have a couple of documents/messages in my applicant portal which were:

1. Event invitation for the Psychometric Test (Accept this, this notifies them that you are definitely attending - If there is an issue, please ring the AFCO/CA and get that sorted).
2. A couple more Information Request Forms (MOD Form 493 - Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 & Tattoos and Piercing Form - just be honest about it).
3. A COVID-19 awareness and the rules that should be followed whilst at the test centre.
4. Practice test link and guidance on how to prepare (Please prepare and use these links).

The Psychometric Test - (15/12/2020)

So on the day, I went roughly 25 minutes early so I can settle down and be prepared for the big test ahead, I was not too overly stressed since I felt confident due to the number of times I practiced test questions/papers (again... practice, practice and practice!). Oh also, a lot of people just attended the test in a hoodie and joggers, whilst I was in a shirt and trousers (no tie).

The test started at 09:00, so we were taken up stairs at approximately 08:50 to get our documentation checked (Passport or ID Card) and once that was checked, we were sat down and given a quick brief on the examination and how it was going to be. Then we were off, we had approximately 9 minutes to complete the General Reasoning and Verbal Ability section, 16 minutes for the Math section and 10 minute for the Mechanical Comprehension section. (Tip: If you can't answer a question, skip it and move on. If you have time after finishing off the rest of the questions, come back to the ones you've skipped and if you still can't get it, then just make a guess, do not leave it blank!)

Since our test was conducted just before the Christmas break, we were also informed that they would only be giving us our results on the 4th of January, so this delayed me a little bit as I think if they were still able to mark them on the day and give us our results, we could have had our interviews straight after.. but oh well, who am I to say?

Test Results - (05/01/2021)

After a heavy belly from Christmas Day and New Years', the big day has come where I didn't actually get a call when I expected (the 4th of January), however I got a call the very next day, but I was snoozing and missed the call (I could sleep through anything, it's shit I know).

Regardless, when I woke up I noticed the missed call on my phone and also noticed a text from the new CA assigned to my application, so I rang the number back straight away and was informed that I had passed the Psychometric Test successfully and had scored enough for my desired role and possibly more roles if I was looking at a change later down the line in the application.

With this, the CA also advised that they will now be taking me onto the next step of the application which will be the Selection Interview, so once again I was mentioned a couple of dates and I chose the earliest possible date which will be the 25th of January, 2021 at 10:00.

After accepting the date, I was also advised that she will send over the medical form that I would have to complete and would be better if I completed it and sent it off to Capita since that way they can create the file for my application as soon as possible, so post interview, they are able to send me to the next stage as soon as possible, so I got them printed off and filled out to get that sent out to Capita. The medical form included all personal details and any medical background ranging from personal injuries, surgeries, etc. to that of your family.

---

I know the above seems very standard and similar to possibly every other applicant out there, but I know some information might be different to the regular applications that are made from non-commonwealth candidates. I will update this thread as the application process goes through as regularly as possible, so will look at updating this on the 25th of January after the selection interview has been completed and the result of it.

Yours Truly,
ShazoozleBamboozle

 

[ShazoozleBamboozle]

**Update** The Interview - (25/01/2021)

After a short wait from when I had received my test results on the 5th, the day of the interview had finally come and I was up early at 07:00, got a quick run in the morning (keep your fitness levels as high as possible during the recruitment process, it will be really beneficial for when the actual tests start rolling in).

Got home, had a quick shower and sat down ready to answer the phone call for my 10:00 interview, my CA rang me at 09:58 (good to be early I suppose) and we decided to carry on with the interview. All I can say really to sum this up in a nutshell, is that I was super nervous/stressed about that I had searched up 50 million different threads on this forum and elsewhere, it was super simple and straight forward.

The interviewee would go over the sections that they will be covering today and the best piece of advice I can give you is that, be honest. It is the best thing you can do and they love honesty! Don't lie to them saying you are going to serve the entirety of your Naval contract when they as well as you know that it won't be happening but sound determined to be the best and contribute as much as possible whilst serving.

I cannot go into much detail regarding the interview since that would take absolutely forever but they cover topics such as:

1. Personal Information (Family/Education History)
2. Interests (Sports/Extra Activities)
3. Mental Resilience (Didn't cover much since my CA said I demonstrated a fair bit already through the previous sections so they can skip over that)
4. Navy related questions (Do research about your branch and why you want to join)

My CA then said that usually they would go away and have a think about everything and once they have made a decision give the candidate a ring back and let them know what the result is, but she said that was quite compelled that I'd be an exceptional candidate/contribution to the Royal Navy and said I had been passed the interview! Was super chuffed about it and she gave a small so called "speech" to say why she thought I should be passed through and that I was bitterly honest about what I had to say which is good as she always interviews people and they try to lie to sound good but absolutely hate the job once they get in.

From there, she had sent over two documents over on the Recruitment Portal which one was a declaration regarding that I was happy to go to war in layman terms and another is that I would take life in the protection of life. The other document sent over was an example contract (informal rather) that I can read and understand as on the day of Raleigh where we'd be signing the official contract, they would not have time to go through everything as much.

Now I'm just awaiting the medical triage call from the Nurse since I had sent off the Capita Medical Documents and once I finish that I am good to go for a F2F Medical

The CA also did mention that there might not be a PJFT at the local gyms since they were closed and suggested that the use of Strava might come into play, but we'd cross that bridge once we come to it.

Till next time! Adios.

 

[ShazoozleBamboozle]

**Update** The Medical Triage Booked - (01/02/2021)

So after a small wait, I had randomly received a text message from "RecMedicals" and it stated that I had a Triage call booked on the 1st of February at 16:00.

I think it would generally be better if they rang the candidate first, asked what would be a suitable date and then booked them in for an appointment rather than booking them in straight away! But oh well, I'm not too bothered as I want to get all stages done and start as soon as possible.

So will post an update on here as soon as I get the Triage done, should be quite straight forward since from what I've read/researched, it is them basically going through the medical questionnaire that you have completed and sent over to Capita. So as long as you don't have anything declared which might raise flags, you should be fine!

Hoping it goes over quick and if I'm not mistaken, the next step would either be PJFT (Gyms closed so might be Strava alternative) or would be the face-to-face Medical check-up. Keeping in mind that is if the Triage Nurse gives me the go ahead, which I hope they will.

Will post another update shortly after the triage! Till then, take it easy.

 

[FuryIsHere]

**Update** The Medical Triage Booked - (01/02/2021)

So after a small wait, I had randomly received a text message from "RecMedicals" and it stated that I had a Triage call booked on the 1st of February at 16:00.

I think it would generally be better if they rang the candidate first, asked what would be a suitable date and then booked them in for an appointment rather than booking them in straight away! But oh well, I'm not too bothered as I want to get all stages done and start as soon as possible.

So will post an update on here as soon as I get the Triage done, should be quite straight forward since from what I've read/researched, it is them basically going through the medical questionnaire that you have completed and sent over to Capita. So as long as you don't have anything declared which might raise flags, you should be fine!

Hoping it goes over quick and if I'm not mistaken, the next step would either be PJFT (Gyms closed so might be Strava alternative) or would be the face-to-face Medical check-up. Keeping in mind that is if the Triage Nurse gives me the go ahead, which I hope they will.

Will post another update shortly after the triage! Till then, take it easy.

Good luck

 

[redmonkey]

Some great information there.

Good luck

 

[ShazoozleBamboozle]

**Update** The Medical Triage Completed - (01/02/2021)

That.. was surprisingly quick..

I initially received a call from the Nurse that was in-charge of my triage call at 15:00, she mentioned that there had been a cancellation of a booking so she thought of ringing me to ask if I wanted to have mine done earlier than the scheduled 16:00 call.

Unfortunately, I was at work at the time and was only assigned the 16:00 break to complete the call, so I was not really able to complete it earlier than expected, so I did apologise and ask if I could stick to my scheduled time only due to the fact that work would not let me off the hook to get that complete cause of "Busy Monday".

Hitting 16:00, received the call and I answered it and she introduced herself, asked me a couple of questions to ensure that I was actually the person they were meant to be speaking to, like address, DOB and surname confirmation. Once that was done, we were off to a quick start on the questions.

In all honesty, I would not be able for the life of me tell you what the questions were, cause they were quick questions and the only answer could be Yes/No, if you answer Yes, you go into a little more detail and she would note them down, but I was happily on the No side for all questions.

They will go over your personal medical history, family medical history, any surgeries, injuries, etc.

Once that is all done, she mentioned to me that I have passed my medical screening and that the next step would be the Face-to-Face Medical check-up with one of the Doctors (so I'm guessing they're still going through regardless of lockdown, for anyone that is curious).

She mentioned to obviously make sure I'm on time for the check-up and if I do drink protein shakes that I stop one week in advance of the check-up.

They haven't yet published a date for the medical check-up, but said I will receive an email to notify me when the booking has been placed and what date I would have to attend.

Will keep you updated when I hear back regarding the dates, but till then, adios!

 

[Chris P]

I think it would generally be better if they rang the candidate first, asked what would be a suitable date and then booked them in for an appointment rather than booking them in straight away! But oh well, I'm not too bothered as I want to get all stages done and start as soon as possible.

This is the RN you're talking about, you are/might be a miniscule item within a large military machine so you will have to learn to jump to their call, get used to it, it's always their call..

 

[ShazoozleBamboozle]

This is the RN you're talking about, you are/might be a miniscule item within a large military machine so you will have to learn to jump to their call, get used to it, it's always their call..

Oh no definitely, I agree with you. I just meant in the way that since Capita is doing these over the phone, it would be more beneficial for them to just offer the choice of a few dates so the candidate does not cancel last minute like the person before my scheduled call did, unaware of his reasons for certain.

Avoids the Capita Triage Nurse from being prepared to ring someone and then either the person is a no-show or cancels last minute.

However, I do completely agree about doing things for the Navy their way last minute regardless if its convenient to the person or not.

 

[ShazoozleBamboozle]

**Update** F2F Medical Booked.. And Cancelled? - (02/02/2021)

Apologies for the slightly late update, I had been keeping busy with work. Anyhow, after passing the Triage call with the Nurse on the Monday, I was awaiting the booking for the F2F (face-to-face) medical, which I was expecting going to be roughly a weekly later or more, since the Nurse did mention to not consume any protein shakes and that sufficient time would be given for that to happen.

HOWEVER, I ended up getting a date for the 4th of January (today) at 15:30 in Southport. Well, I wasn't too fussed about it I would've attended it regardless but I mean if they did mention the one week gap from stopping the protein shake for the check-up, would've been quite weird.

Anyways, they emailed over a couple of questions asking basically if I had COVID or came into contact with someone that has/had COVID and whether I required medical assistance due to COVID, and I was all prepared to attend the check-up and booked time off work.

Unfortunately, due to the new strain being quite high around the Southport area, I was informed that my appointment was cancelled and would be rescheduled to an appropriate date as soon as possible.

So I am now awaiting further instructions in regards to when they have re-booked me to do the check-up, so will post a further update once I receive that.

I also did email my CA to ask if I was able to tick off any other items in the checklist to see if I can get those done early so we don't delay anything after the medical, but she had advised that there was absolutely nothing left for me to do than get the all-clear from the medical check-up.

So hoping for a date soon enough and for it to go all well and I can then hopefully get a date to prepare for Raleigh!

I will definitely be posting a week by week experience of Raleigh in-depth as well and my opinion on whether it was any different for me as a Commonwealth applicant as I enjoy writing about this and I'm not sure but eventually/gradually will be beneficial for another commonwealth or regular applicant.

Till next update! Stay safe.

 

[Gakau]

Hello everyone! Sorry if I do post this in the wrong area, first time here. Right, the reason I'm starting this is because there are plenty of Commonwealth candidates who usually post up questions regarding this and at first, like them I was scavenging through this forum to find something similar to help me on my journey. There are many similar posts like this, but they are usually non-commonwealth candidates. To also give you a quick heads-up, I have been already resident within the country for roughly 3 years, so it might have a faster acceptance/approval rate than if you were applying from out of country as a commonwealth candidate.

Submission of Interest (02/11/2020)

On a cloudy.. rainy.. wet day.. decided to go onto the Royal Navy website and check out the available roles to commonwealth candidates (Commonwealth Jobs & Roles), to see if any appeal to me and whether I should consider putting in an application on the spot.

After going through, decided that there were nothing that really appealed to me apart from Mine Warfare Specialist, which also happened to be a priority role at the time (unaware if it still is in priority recruitment), but I did not want to make a hasty decision and decided to have a quick look around the role and understand it a little bit better before submitting anything further. So I decided to sleep on it and check it out the next day. After waking up the next morning, got a nice cuppa' (trust me, you got to get used to the lingo innit) decided to head over to these forums, have a chat with a local AFCO and then decided to read a bit further regarding MWS (Mine Warfare Specialist) and it's job.. I did see a lot of negatives but I found the positives outweighed them.

So I went ahead and decided to submit an application on the website as a Mine Warfare Specialist on the 2nd of November, 2020, however, I knew this was going to be a very long journey due to the fact that we were amidst a pandemic and it was not getting any better at the time.. so I knew I was in for a long run.

First Contact (05/11/2020)

So after being prepared for a long wait, I was quite shocked to say that I received a call on the morning of the 5th of November, 2020, by a CA (Career's Advisor) who had just mentioned that they have received my application and are going to be taking it further in the next few days, but in the meantime they will be requiring a couple of more documents/information being filled out on the portal, this includes:

1. Sports, Hobbies and Interests Form
2. Request Scan and Upload Birth Certificate
3. Scan and Upload your Overseas Documentation (These included references, police background check, a letter to confirm you have no national service liability and a letter to confirm where you will be staying whilst in the UK - I did not have issues with this as I was already in the UK)

The CA also mentioned that they would be putting the status of my application "On-hold" but this does not mean that the application isn't being moved forward, it is just a method of them keeping track of all Commonwealth applicants, as you can expect they have plenty of people applying from all over, so please avoid asking them stupid questions about this as they've dealt with plenty of candidates before you.

So I got on my way and completed all the required documentation, and send it off via the online application portal, once that was done I was just sitting put and waited for the next contact they made with myself.

Second Contact - (02/12/2020)

After completing all of the documentation/information forms they required and a short wait, I was finally contacted by my CA and she said that they are happy with the initial screening questions that I had submitted and had a date available for a Psychometric Test, they mentioned three available dates and I was eager and available since work was ready to offer my the day off in order to get this complete (nice of them, I know, it pays off to be a kiss-ass).

So I booked the earliest date available for the test and got on my way to preparing for the Psychometric Test, all I can say for this is please please don't stress as much as you think you should? Just complete as many practice tests as possible, if you put in the work, you will be able to smash it easily. Most people say it's basic GCSE's but I think it was easier than GCSE's, and trust me, I'm dumb and if I could smash the test, so can you.

As soon as I got off the phone with the CA and having a date agreed upon, I received an abundant number of emails to notify me that I have a couple of documents/messages in my applicant portal which were:

1. Event invitation for the Psychometric Test (Accept this, this notifies them that you are definitely attending - If there is an issue, please ring the AFCO/CA and get that sorted).
2. A couple more Information Request Forms (MOD Form 493 - Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 & Tattoos and Piercing Form - just be honest about it).
3. A COVID-19 awareness and the rules that should be followed whilst at the test centre.
4. Practice test link and guidance on how to prepare (Please prepare and use these links).

The Psychometric Test - (15/12/2020)

So on the day, I went roughly 25 minutes early so I can settle down and be prepared for the big test ahead, I was not too overly stressed since I felt confident due to the number of times I practiced test questions/papers (again... practice, practice and practice!). Oh also, a lot of people just attended the test in a hoodie and joggers, whilst I was in a shirt and trousers (no tie).

The test started at 09:00, so we were taken up stairs at approximately 08:50 to get our documentation checked (Passport or ID Card) and once that was checked, we were sat down and given a quick brief on the examination and how it was going to be. Then we were off, we had approximately 9 minutes to complete the General Reasoning and Verbal Ability section, 16 minutes for the Math section and 10 minute for the Mechanical Comprehension section. (Tip: If you can't answer a question, skip it and move on. If you have time after finishing off the rest of the questions, come back to the ones you've skipped and if you still can't get it, then just make a guess, do not leave it blank!)

Since our test was conducted just before the Christmas break, we were also informed that they would only be giving us our results on the 4th of January, so this delayed me a little bit as I think if they were still able to mark them on the day and give us our results, we could have had our interviews straight after.. but oh well, who am I to say?

Test Results - (05/01/2021)

After a heavy belly from Christmas Day and New Years', the big day has come where I didn't actually get a call when I expected (the 4th of January), however I got a call the very next day, but I was snoozing and missed the call (I could sleep through anything, it's shit I know).

Regardless, when I woke up I noticed the missed call on my phone and also noticed a text from the new CA assigned to my application, so I rang the number back straight away and was informed that I had passed the Psychometric Test successfully and had scored enough for my desired role and possibly more roles if I was looking at a change later down the line in the application.

With this, the CA also advised that they will now be taking me onto the next step of the application which will be the Selection Interview, so once again I was mentioned a couple of dates and I chose the earliest possible date which will be the 25th of January, 2021 at 10:00.

After accepting the date, I was also advised that she will send over the medical form that I would have to complete and would be better if I completed it and sent it off to Capita since that way they can create the file for my application as soon as possible, so post interview, they are able to send me to the next stage as soon as possible, so I got them printed off and filled out to get that sent out to Capita. The medical form included all personal details and any medical background ranging from personal injuries, surgeries, etc. to that of your family.

---

I know the above seems very standard and similar to possibly every other applicant out there, but I know some information might be different to the regular applications that are made from non-commonwealth candidates. I will update this thread as the application process goes through as regularly as possible, so will look at updating this on the 25th of January after the selection interview has been completed and the result of it.

Yours Truly,
ShazoozleBamboozle

Hey shazoozle, this is so helpful thanks. I have already sent my medicals and currently supposed to upload overseas documents. For the National Service Liability what did you upload? Is a notary affidavit enough?

 

[ShazoozleBamboozle]

Hey shazoozle, this is so helpful thanks. I have already sent my medicals and currently supposed to upload overseas documents. For the National Service Liability what did you upload? Is a notary affidavit enough?

Hey Gakau,

Apologies for the late reply to your question, I had been extremely caught up with work and hadn't had the chance to come and look at this till just now when I was going to make another update on the post. Unsure of where you originally are from, but a notary affidavit would definitely be enough to say that you are not wrapped up under National Service Liability and do not have to go back home in order to serve.

With myself, currently being within the UK, I was unable to receive one, so I had just collated a bit of information from different sources as evidence and sent that over, assuming that it was accepted since I moved through the application process hastily. However, if you are able to get a notary affidavit, then I suggest you do so as that would definitely help.

 

[ShazoozleBamboozle]

**Update** F2F Medical Rebooked - (03/03/2021)

So.. it's been roughly a month? Quite sometime since the previous medical got cancelled, but hey we're all easing up with the lockdown so hopefully this might be a good sign for a lot of the applicants to say we're going to be pushed through so they can clear any backlog on applications.

I received a text message on Wednesday the 3rd of March at 11:00 to say that I have been booked for a F2F Medical with one of the Doctors and the booking will be on the 12th of March at 16:00, but this time quite a distance away unlike the last Medical Clinic I was appointed, this time I actually have to travel for roughly an hour and a half away (train/bus) to get there, but hey nothing comes easy!

So I've got the entire journey planned out, so I'm hoping that I get there and manage to pass the medical successful, might even say that I travelled across the world to get there, so I better pass, but hey that's my last card.

Another update will go on once I have managed to finish off the medical and return home, so stay tuned!

Till then, peace.