As title says, I just went for the Commando VA today. Here are some details about the VA for those who are going for the VA as well:
In the morning, after registering at the entrance, you will be divided into groups and proceed to the hall. At the hall, you will be given a form to fill up. Examples of things asked include what you know about each unit in SAF (Commando, Guards, Infantry, etc), the ranking (in order of preference) of which unit you’d like to go to, the CCA(s) you participated in, whether you have joined a uniform group before, whether you would consider signing on as a regular, and your NAPFA result (if you’ve taken it).
The order in which you’ll do the stages are different. 3 groups (including the group I was in) did the Psychology Assessment first, while the other groups did the Physical Fitness Assessment first. Here’s a brief breakdown of the things covered at each stage:
Psychology Assessment
3 tests will be done at this stage:
- IQ test
- The “How you cope with stress” test
- Personality test
Physical Fitness Assessment
There are 2 parts to this, the first part would be the normal physical fitness stuff, and the second would be a psychomotor test. For the physical fitness part, you are required to complete 4 stations:
- Pull-ups
- Sit-ups
- Push-ups
- Standing broad jump
For the psychomotor part, there are 4 stations as well. One requires you to tiptoe, raise both hands in front of you so that your hands are perpendicular to your body, close your eyes, and you have to maintain that position for as long as you can. If you can maintain that position for 30s, the test stops. The second test requires you to bend down and touch the floor with your fingers. If you can maintain that position for 6s, the test stops. The third test requires you to firstly lie down face-up on the floor. When the test starts, you have to raise both legs up to about 45 degrees (legs must be straightened when they’re raised up) and you have to keep your hands parallel to your legs. The test ends if you can maintain that position for 20s. The last test is too complex to describe because there are various actions involved, so I will just skip this part.
Medical Screening
- Height and weight will be taken
- Eyesight will be tested again
- Medical officer will ask you if you have any history of medical problems, back problems, knee problems, etc.
Interview
I think that different people have different interview styles, so what my interviewer asked may not be asked to everyone since there are different interviewers. Similarly, some questions that weren’t asked during my interview may be asked in yours. If that happens, don’t come crying to me why didn’t I mention a certain question. Here’s how my interview went (the questions may not be in the correct order, since my memory is failing me):
- Asked to tell interviewer more about myself
- Asked which diploma I’m currently pursuing
- Asked about my grades in school
- Asked about the CCA I was involved in
- Asked whether I had joined any uniform groups before
- Asked about what working experience I have
- Asked if I played sports (I think this is due to the fact that my CCAs weren’t sports-related)
- Asked about my water confidence, whether I would have any trouble swimming a number of laps
- Asked if I would like to be a Commando
- Asked if I would consider signing on as a regular
That sums up how the day went. By the time I left, it was around 3pm. Do bring money to buy food from the canteen as lunch isn't provided.
In the morning, after registering at the entrance, you will be divided into groups and proceed to the hall. At the hall, you will be given a form to fill up. Examples of things asked include what you know about each unit in SAF (Commando, Guards, Infantry, etc), the ranking (in order of preference) of which unit you’d like to go to, the CCA(s) you participated in, whether you have joined a uniform group before, whether you would consider signing on as a regular, and your NAPFA result (if you’ve taken it).
The order in which you’ll do the stages are different. 3 groups (including the group I was in) did the Psychology Assessment first, while the other groups did the Physical Fitness Assessment first. Here’s a brief breakdown of the things covered at each stage:
Psychology Assessment
3 tests will be done at this stage:
- IQ test
- The “How you cope with stress” test
- Personality test
Physical Fitness Assessment
There are 2 parts to this, the first part would be the normal physical fitness stuff, and the second would be a psychomotor test. For the physical fitness part, you are required to complete 4 stations:
- Pull-ups
- Sit-ups
- Push-ups
- Standing broad jump
For the psychomotor part, there are 4 stations as well. One requires you to tiptoe, raise both hands in front of you so that your hands are perpendicular to your body, close your eyes, and you have to maintain that position for as long as you can. If you can maintain that position for 30s, the test stops. The second test requires you to bend down and touch the floor with your fingers. If you can maintain that position for 6s, the test stops. The third test requires you to firstly lie down face-up on the floor. When the test starts, you have to raise both legs up to about 45 degrees (legs must be straightened when they’re raised up) and you have to keep your hands parallel to your legs. The test ends if you can maintain that position for 20s. The last test is too complex to describe because there are various actions involved, so I will just skip this part.
Medical Screening
- Height and weight will be taken
- Eyesight will be tested again
- Medical officer will ask you if you have any history of medical problems, back problems, knee problems, etc.
Interview
I think that different people have different interview styles, so what my interviewer asked may not be asked to everyone since there are different interviewers. Similarly, some questions that weren’t asked during my interview may be asked in yours. If that happens, don’t come crying to me why didn’t I mention a certain question. Here’s how my interview went (the questions may not be in the correct order, since my memory is failing me):
- Asked to tell interviewer more about myself
- Asked which diploma I’m currently pursuing
- Asked about my grades in school
- Asked about the CCA I was involved in
- Asked whether I had joined any uniform groups before
- Asked about what working experience I have
- Asked if I played sports (I think this is due to the fact that my CCAs weren’t sports-related)
- Asked about my water confidence, whether I would have any trouble swimming a number of laps
- Asked if I would like to be a Commando
- Asked if I would consider signing on as a regular
That sums up how the day went. By the time I left, it was around 3pm. Do bring money to buy food from the canteen as lunch isn't provided.
