Royal Navy Interview Questions and Recruiting Test

The Royal Navy recruits ratings and officers into professions such as engineering, warfare, logistics, medical and the Submarine Service, alongside the Royal Marines and Royal Fleet Auxiliary, which have their own joining processes. Whichever profession you choose, you take an aptitude test and a formal interview before any fitness or medical stage, and officers also pass the Admiralty Interview Board.

Many people still search for the "Royal Navy Recruiting Test". The Navy now calls its test the Defence Aptitude Assessment (DAA). This page explains the current process from the Navy's own pages, gives you practice questions in the DAA style and covers the interview questions you are likely to face, with example answers.

The ratings joining process, step by step

The Royal Navy describes five steps for ratings.

Step 1: Submit an application

Once you have registered interest in a profession and meet some basic eligibility criteria, you are sent an online application form. Fill it in carefully: your interviewer will use it as the basis for many questions.

Step 2: Defence Aptitude Assessment (DAA)

The DAA has six tests, all multiple choice and each timed:

  • Verbal reasoning: understanding and evaluating written information
  • Numerical reasoning: using and interpreting numerical information
  • Work rate: solving simple problems quickly and accurately
  • Spatial reasoning: imagining how shapes and pictures look from different angles
  • Mechanical comprehension: working with mechanical concepts
  • Electrical comprehension: working with electrical concepts

You must attempt every section. The link arrives in your candidate portal and stays valid for 14 days. You can take the test at home or arrange to sit it at your local Armed Forces Careers Office (AFCO). Once you start, you must finish in one sitting, and the real test must be taken on a screen of at least 10.2 inches, although you can practise on a phone. For the practice questions, the Navy suggests setting aside about 30 to 40 minutes in a quiet place.

The Navy also notes that requirements differ by profession and specialisation, so you do not need every answer correct to succeed. There are easy and hard questions throughout. The free familiarisation questions on the Navy site use the same format as the real assessment. Our overview of aptitude tests for military selection shows how the DAA compares with the Army and RAF tests.

Step 3: Selection interview

A formal selection interview confirms you are suitable for your chosen profession, followed by a discussion of the roles available within it, including the Submarine Service. It also covers the first stages of your security application. It is normally held on your own device over a video platform, and the Navy says it is scheduled to last 45 to 60 minutes.

Step 4: Candidate Preparation Course (CPC)

A four-day induction to life in the Royal Navy, including fitness and medical assessments. It is pass or fail.

Step 5: Start training

Once you pass all eligibility criteria, including a security check, you are offered a place at HMS Raleigh for initial training. Allocation to a specific role within your profession happens during the latter part of initial training.

The officer route and the Admiralty Interview Board

Officers follow the same first three steps (application, DAA and selection interview), then:

  • Medical and fitness assessments at one of the Navy's Candidate Preparation Centres.
  • Admiralty Interview Board (AIB), held online and run with the Navy's contracted partner SSCL. It has two stages:
    • Pre-Recorded Interview (PRI): a series of questions with two minutes to answer each. It assesses your motivation to join as an officer and your awareness of Initial Officer Training, specialist training for your role and wider Royal Navy operations.
    • Group Planning Exercise (GPE): about three weeks after the PRI, in a virtual group. You read briefs against the clock and work as a team to find the best solution with the resources available. You are then moved to a separate virtual room and asked questions about the scenario and changes that require quick decisions.
  • Start training at Britannia Royal Naval College (BRNC) once all checks, including security, are passed.

The Navy lists the AIB criteria as motivation and awareness, communication, teamwork and collaboration, problem solving and decision making, confidence and resilience, and effective intelligence. Each stage is scored, both count equally towards an overall pass or fail, and the Navy says there is no ideal or typical officer: it wants both outgoing and reserved personalities. If you have not done a recorded interview before, our video interview tips will help with the PRI.

Practice questions in the style of the DAA

These are our own items, written to reflect the six DAA areas. They are not real Royal Navy questions.

Practice question 1

A ship travels at 18 knots for 2.5 hours. How many nautical miles does it cover?

A. 36 B. 40 C. 45 D. 50

Answer: C. One knot is one nautical mile per hour, so 18 x 2.5 = 45 nautical miles.

Practice question 2

A galley needs 3 eggs per person for breakfast. There are 120 crew on board. Eggs come in trays of 30. How many trays are needed?

A. 10 B. 12 C. 14 D. 15

Answer: B. 120 x 3 = 360 eggs, and 360 / 30 = 12 trays.

Practice question 3

What is 15% of 260?

A. 26 B. 34 C. 39 D. 42

Answer: C. 10% of 260 is 26 and 5% is 13, so 15% is 39.

Practice question 4

Read the passage: "Watchkeepers must report any change in weather to the bridge. Minor changes may be logged without a report if the officer of the watch has given permission." Which statement is true?

A. Watchkeepers never need to report weather B. All changes must always be reported C. Minor changes can be logged without a report if permission has been given D. The officer of the watch logs all weather changes

Answer: C. The second sentence allows an exception for minor changes, but only with permission. A and B contradict the passage, and D is not stated.

Practice question 5

A lever has the pivot in the middle. A 20kg load sits 1m to the left of the pivot. How far to the right must a 10kg weight sit to balance it?

A. 0.5m B. 1m C. 2m D. 4m

Answer: C. Moments must balance: 20 x 1 = 10 x distance, so the distance is 2m.

Practice question 6

Two identical bulbs are wired in parallel to the same battery. One bulb is removed. What happens to the other bulb?

A. It goes out B. It stays lit C. It gets dimmer D. The battery shorts

Answer: B. In a parallel circuit each bulb has its own path, so removing one does not break the other's circuit.

Practice question 7

Work rate style: which code is identical to 7K3P9?

A. 7K3B9 B. 7K3P9 C. 7X3P9 D. 1K3P9

Answer: B. Work rate tests reward fast, accurate checking. Scan character by character rather than reading the whole string at once.

The Royal Navy interview: format and example answers

The Navy says interviewers are members of the Naval Careers Service or Liaison Officers, and that they ask about the information on your application form: your home life and family, education, work experience, spare time (sports, clubs, fitness, socialising) and what motivates you to join your chosen branch, including training, where you might serve and your terms and conditions of service. The Navy also advises practising the main points you want to get across and keeping answers clear and concise. Use the STAR method for examples.

1. Why do you want to join the Royal Navy?

Example answer: "I want a career with real responsibility early on and proper training behind it. My grandad served as a marine engineer and the way he talks about his shipmates stuck with me. I also like the idea of working in a small team where everyone depends on each other."

2. Why have you chosen this profession?

Example answer: "I have applied for engineering technician. I am finishing a BTEC in engineering and I enjoy hands-on fault-finding. I know allocation to a specific role happens later in initial training, and I am open to that, including submarines."

3. What do you know about life at sea?

Example answer: "You live and work in a confined space with the same people for long periods, often with watches around the clock. Personal space is limited and you are away from home for months. I have spoken to a serving rating who said the friendships make up for it."

4. How would you cope with being away for long deployments?

Example answer: "I have thought about it carefully. I went on a five-week expedition with my college and coped well, partly because I kept busy and wrote home regularly. My family know what joining means and they support it."

5. Tell me about your education.

Example answer: "I got eight GCSEs, including maths and English, and I am on the second year of a level 3 engineering course. My best subject is practical engineering. I struggled with maths at first, so I took extra sessions and moved up two grades."

6. Tell me about a time you worked as part of a team.

Example answer: "I play in a five-a-side league. When our captain moved away, nobody wanted to organise things, so I set up the group chat, sorted the fees and made sure we always had a full team. We finished second that season."

7. What do you do in your spare time?

Example answer: "I go to the gym four times a week and swim on Sundays, mostly to prepare for the fitness assessment. I also volunteer at a food bank once a month, which has taught me a lot about working with all sorts of people."

8. What are the Royal Navy's values?

Example answer: "Courage, commitment, discipline, respect, integrity and loyalty. Commitment stands out to me, because it means being ready to serve wherever and whenever you are needed and putting the team before yourself."

9. What do you know about initial training?

Example answer: "Ratings start at HMS Raleigh in Cornwall, where you learn naval life, sea survival, firefighting and fitness before moving on to specialist training. I have read the joining instructions and I am working on my fitness now."

10. Tell me about a time you had to follow rules you disagreed with.

Example answer: "At my café job, we had to throw away unsold sandwiches at closing. I thought it was a waste, but I followed the rule because of food safety. I did suggest to my manager that we reduce the afternoon batch, and she agreed to try it."

11. Officer (PRI): Why do you want to be a Royal Navy officer?

Example answer: "I want to lead people, not just manage tasks. At university I ran the sailing club's training programme for 40 members and I enjoyed developing others most. The Navy would give me responsibility for people and equipment far earlier than any civilian graduate scheme."

12. Officer (PRI): What do you know about current Royal Navy operations?

Example answer: "The Navy protects UK waters, deploys a carrier strike group with allies, keeps the continuous at-sea nuclear deterrent, and patrols to protect shipping, for example in the Red Sea and the Gulf. It also supports humanitarian relief when disasters strike."

Practical tips for Royal Navy selection

  • Practise all six DAA sections, especially mechanical and electrical comprehension if you have not studied physics.
  • Check your equipment before the video interview: the Navy advises testing your internet, camera and microphone, choosing a well-lit, quiet room and keeping the camera at eye level.
  • Dress smartly even for a video interview. The Navy says it is a formal process and you should dress and behave accordingly.
  • Prepare questions to ask, such as what basic training involves or what happens next in the process. The Navy suggests examples on its interview page.
  • Get fit early for the CPC or Candidate Preparation Centre assessments.
  • Common mistakes: not knowing your chosen profession, vague answers about why you want to join, and ignoring your Careers Adviser's advice.

The Navy does not publish one pay figure that applies to everyone, so check the current rate for your role on its site. For structured preparation, our interview and test training package includes reasoning tests and interview preparation. You can also compare the British Army and RAF routes.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the Royal Navy Recruiting Test still used?

The Royal Navy now calls its aptitude test the Defence Aptitude Assessment (DAA). Many guides still use the older name Royal Navy Recruiting Test. The DAA has six multiple-choice tests: verbal reasoning, numerical reasoning, work rate, spatial reasoning, mechanical comprehension and electrical comprehension.

Can I take the Royal Navy test at home?

Yes. The Royal Navy says you can take the DAA at home using the link sent to your candidate portal, or arrange to sit it at your local Armed Forces Careers Office. The link stays valid for 14 days, and once you start you must finish in one sitting on a screen of at least 10.2 inches.

How long is the Royal Navy interview?

The Royal Navy says the selection interview is scheduled to last 45 to 60 minutes. It is normally held by video and covers your home life, education, work experience, spare time and motivation for joining your chosen branch.

What is the Admiralty Interview Board?

The AIB is the officer selection stage. It is held online in two parts: a Pre-Recorded Interview, with two minutes to answer each question, and a Group Planning Exercise roughly three weeks later, followed by individual questions on the scenario.

What is the Candidate Preparation Course?

For ratings, the Royal Navy describes the CPC as a four-day induction to life in the Navy that includes fitness and medical assessments. It is pass or fail.

About the author

Ingmar van Maurik is a specialist in test and interview preparation who helps candidates perform better in recruitment processes.

References