Regular Commissioning Board

The Regular Comissioning Board at Westbury in Wiltshire, England, runs selection courses which must be passed before being offered a place at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst. Two regular courses are run - the RCB Briefing and the RCB Main Board. A board for selection of TA Officers - the TCB - is also administered here.

RCB Briefing (Pre-RCB)

This is a two day course which must be passed before proceeding to the main RCB. It is a relatively easy course intended to give potential officers an idea of what is required and expected on the main board.

Before leaving the RCB Briefing, candidates are assigned one of four possible grades. They may be allowed to proceed to the main board as soon as possible, they may be required to delay for between six and eighteeen months (often awarded to younger candidates with potential ability but insufficient maturity), they may be advised not to return (advice which they may ignore if they wish, but such candidates invariably fail the main board), or they may be rejected entirely, in which case further applications will not be accepted. This last is rarely awarded.

Regular Commissions Board (Main Board)

This is a 4 day course consisting of many different academic, physical, mental and aptitude tests. It is designed to put the candidates under pressure whilst fostering their team spirit and competitiveness. On the last night of the course a formal dinner is held for the candidates. In the past this was regarded as another test, this time of their manners and social skills; it is not clear whether this was ever actually the case. Nowadays, the staff are at pains to point out that the meal is not an assessment, and no staff are present at the event.

For obvious reasons, the details of the physical tasks, command tasks, interviews and academic tests are not publicly broadcast.

Territorial Commissions Board (TCB)

This is the course for the selection of TA officers, except that runs over a weekend. The qualities sought are the same and all the tests are identical, with the exception that the opening race is not held. Since it is done in half the time of the RCB it is considerably more hectic.

Under the Review of Officers Career Courses (Volunteer) a Territorial Commissions Board Briefing (TAB) has been introduced and the TCBs at Edinburgh and Chilwell have been shut down. All officer selection is now done at Westbury.

TCBs also run during the week, using RCB staff.