Hi MJ,
I also have my Sift coming up very soon, so have been preparing and reading up where I can. My AFCO wasn't willing to give me any sort of suggestion as to what questions I might expect (which surprised me a little), so what I have gleaned below has come from scouring the forums and message boards.
The impression I get is that your detailed Naval equipment knowledge (e.g. weapons systems, propulsion, displacement, complement, pros and cons) is much less likely to be tested at the Sift than it was a few years ago and the focus is more on:
-Motivation
-Knowledge of current operations, what the RN 'does' in a broader spectrum
-Knowledge of your training pipeline, career prospects and where you might be stationed
-Leadership, teamwork examples
-Awareness of Ts&Cs of entry, Return of Service, commission length
My opinion is that the newer recruitment approach is to find people with proven leadership/teamwork experience & sound motivations who know what they are signing up for - who can then have their naval knowledge expanded and developed. This is as opposed to candidates who have extensive, in-depth knowledge of every system, weapon and sensor on every ship/boat/flying thing the RN operate, but have no teamwork experience and few demonstrable leadership skills.
That said, however, there is obviously a need to have some knowledge of RN equipment, stations etc. A 'broad but shallow' knowledge (as one post mentioned) should suffice at the Sift stage, but may be further tested at AIB.
Please note this is all just my opinion, from my interpretation of posts across NN and other forums - if anyone (e.g. Ninja) has more up to date/correct information, do correct me!
MJ, I won't post all of the questions I am revising for, but here are a handful of them (in no particular order). I hope they help - and good luck.
What branch/role are you applying for?
Name an example of when you have shown leadership skills?
Using a different example, name a time when you have managed a team of people.
What is moral courage to me, and an example of a time I have demonstrated it .
When have you managed resources?
When have you made a mistake and had to deal with it?
When have you made or delivered an unpopular decision?
Tell me about a situation where you had to brief a large group of people?
Tell me about a situation where you had to lead a team in a task?
Greatest strength? Greatest weakness?
Name a time when you have spoken publicly or in front a large number of people.
Taking the RN out of the question; what has made you want to join the Armed Forces in general?
Why then did you choose the RN as opposed to say the Army or the RAF?
What is AIB and what might you expect during it?
Say you pass AIB, what happens next? What does your training then consist of?
Say you pass out of BRNC - then what?
Tell me a bit about the training structure at BRNC?
Tell me about the structure of your training pipeline?
What commission are you given initially?
What are the regulations regarding leaving the training
pipeline?
What is the return of service for your particular branch?
What is the importance of the Middle East to the UK?
What operations are taking place around the UK?
Where did you learn your knowledge of the Royal Navy from?
