Officer Near Visual Acuity for Category 1 or 2

[Island Marooned]

Hi everyone, I'm hoping you might be able to give a bit of advice on eye tests as I'm planning on joining up as an officer after rona lockdown is done and I had my eyes done privately to actually see what they are (as I want to ideally fly or be warfare) and my eyes are fine, within all those weird measurements I have no bloody clue about, apart from my near visual acuity, in my poorer eye (left eye) whilst my right eye (and shooting eye) is more than perfect 6/6 & N5 unaided with 6/5 & N4 aided. My poorer eye is 6/12 unaided and N7, with aid to 6/8 & N6... So I fall just short on my left eye with it not liking to read stuff up close as my eyes are naturally a bit longsighted.

Would this actually be an issue for me? As not meeting N5 in my poorer eye seems to throw me straight into the third category, even though my eyes are otherwise perfect for the first category. I guess if all else fails, I can wear a dress and be an atheist chaplain!

Thanks in advance.

 

[RabC]

Sadly there is no one on here medically qualified to answer your question. You may get answers where people “think” they know the answer but take them with a dose of salt. Speak to a recruiter who will be able to seek the correct advice on your behalf. Good luck in whatever your chosen profession ends up being.

 

[soleil]

Hi everyone, I'm hoping you might be able to give a bit of advice on eye tests as I'm planning on joining up as an officer after rona lockdown is done and I had my eyes done privately to actually see what they are (as I want to ideally fly or be warfare) and my eyes are fine, within all those weird measurements I have no bloody clue about, apart from my near visual acuity, in my poorer eye (left eye) whilst my right eye (and shooting eye) is more than perfect 6/6 & N5 unaided with 6/5 & N4 aided. My poorer eye is 6/12 unaided and N7, with aid to 6/8 & N6... So I fall just short on my left eye with it not liking to read stuff up close as my eyes are naturally a bit longsighted.

Would this actually be an issue for me? As not meeting N5 in my poorer eye seems to throw me straight into the third category, even though my eyes are otherwise perfect for the first category. I guess if all else fails, I can wear a dress and be an atheist chaplain!

Thanks in advance.

There are two criteria for eyesight when it comes to eligibility, Visual Acuity and Colour Perception. The requirement for Pilots/Observers is 1/1, for Warfare Officers it's 2/1.

I see that you say that you are "planning on joining up as an officer after rona lockdown is done". I'm assuming that this means that you aren't currently engaging with the application system at the moment.

If that is the case, I would suggest that you complete the '"Request Your Application" page for Pilot now. Nothing you might think or imagine about your eyesight is really relevant, as it is the result of the eyesight test initiated by the AFCO which counts.

You will be that little bit closer to knowing whether Pilot is an option open to you once you are engaging with the actual application process. It could be that the right option for you will be Warfare Officer, but you will only know this once you have an ongoing application.

I wouldn't spend lots of time fretting and wondering, to be honest. Your time would be better spent going for a run, so that you are on your way to the standard of physical fitness you need; let the question of your eyesight sort itself out at a later date.

Register | Royal Navy

www.royalnavy.mod.uk

 

[Island Marooned]

Sadly there is no one on here medically qualified to answer your question. You may get answers where people “think” they know the answer but take them with a dose of salt.

That's all I'm after, thanks
I have talked to the recruitment at an AFCO but they just shrug and say 'only the medical officer will know' sorta thing. Which is fair enough, as they're not medical after all.

You will be that little bit closer to knowing whether Pilot is an option open to you once you are engaging with the actual application process. It could be that the right option for you will be Warfare Officer, but you will only know this once you have an ongoing application.

Could that hamper my chances of warfare recruitment if I go for pilot and get declined for my eyes? Like they'd think I don't want to be Warfare or something.
Also keeping in top shape during the lockdown. Just trying to beat a 11:30 2.5k & 28:38 5k atm (happy for advice to boost pace!)

 

[soleil]

That's all I'm after, thanks
I have talked to the recruitment at an AFCO but they just shrug and say 'only the medical officer will know' sorta thing. Which is fair enough, as they're not medical after all.



Could that hamper my chances of warfare recruitment if I go for pilot and get declined for my eyes? Like they'd think I don't want to be Warfare or something.
Also keeping in top shape during the lockdown. Just trying to beat a 11:30 2.5k & 28:38 5k atm (happy for advice to boost pace!)

Personally speaking, I can't see how it would affect your chances of being selected for Warfare Officer; it's actually a sensible option for an applicant to have.

Something you should know is that it can be pretty difficult to get from that moment when you fill in the online form to walking up the hill to BRNC to join as a Pilot. As long as there isn't something in play which could be a bar to entry, it makes sense for someone applying for Pilot to consider what they would do if Pilot were not possible. There will be several candidates at any one point who are discovering that they aren't 1/1 in eyesight terms; it's not something they would know until they had been officially tested. The AIB must see a fair few candidates who thought that Pilot was for them and then had to consider other options. They wouldn't be surprised to be presented with someone in that situation. Presenting a positive attitude at that point would be important, in my view.

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