The RSB Process: How to Get the Regiment You Want

The Regimental Selection Board, better known as the RSBs, is the process by which cadets choose which regiment to join, and regiments choose which cadets to accept. Understanding how it works is crucial to your future career. I’ve no doubt that I’m not the first person you’re hearing this from.

After all, getting to Sandhurst is only half the battle. You still need to find the regiment that will become your extended family for the entirety of your British Army career. It’s no exaggeration to say that the way you approach the RSB process really can make or break your career.

Unlike AOSB, where you're being assessed against a standard, the RSB is a two-way matching process. This can be easy to forget if you find yourself bouncing around inside the RSB pinball machine. You should be evaluating regiments just as much as they're evaluating you. The goal isn't just to get an offer; it’s to find the right fit.

This guide walks you through every stage of the process, from Potential Officer Visits before Sandhurst to the interviews themselves. By understanding how the system works, you can approach it with confidence and give yourself the best chance of joining the regiment that's right for you.

The RSB Timeline

The Regimental Selection Board process spans the entire duration of Sandhurst, with key milestones at specific weeks:

The relationships you build with regiments after passing Briefing can make a real difference when the formal board takes place. Candidates who start visiting early give themselves more options and more time to find the right fit.

Potential Officer Visits

The process of choosing your regiment should begin as soon as you pass Briefing, as this is when you become eligible to attend Potential Officer Visits.

These are organised by individual regiments and serve as soft recruiting tools. They typically involve 10 to 20 potential officers staying with a regiment for a few days. You will observe day-to-day life on barracks, shadow junior officers, and spend time in the Officers' Mess getting to know the regiment's culture.

They give regiments a chance to meet candidates who are interested in them, and they give you a chance to learn about the regiment firsthand.

There are several benefits to getting this started early after Briefing:

• ✓The more visits you do before Sandhurst, the more regiments will already be familiar with you when you arrive.
• ✓This is useful if you are unsure which regiment suits you best, or if circumstances later force you to consider alternatives.
• ✓You only get two official visits during Sandhurst itself, so carrying out visits beforehand gives you a broader understanding of your options.
• ✓It also helps you make an informed decision when choosing which regiments to apply to.

Arms & Services Displays

Within the first five weeks at Sandhurst, you will have an opportunity to learn about the different regiments in more detail.

In Week 2, you will spend a day visiting Arms & Services Displays, where every regiment in the British Army sets up on the Old College parade square to impress the officer cadets. The day functions as a sales pitch for each regiment, and will give you a comprehensive understanding of your options.

This is an excellent opportunity to speak with serving officers, ask questions, and get a sense of each regiment's character. Even if you've done Potential Officer Visits, this day will help you confirm your choices or discover new options you hadn't previously considered.

Declaration of Interest

At Week 9, you are required to submit a declaration of interest to the two regiments you want to join.

Up to this point, the process has been largely in your hands. But after you submit your choices, the power shifts towards the regiments as they begin the process of deciding which cadets they want to take on.

At this stage, platoon commanders have been known to advise cadets who have chosen unrealistically competitive options to reconsider. The final decision remains yours, but expect frank guidance.

Once you have submitted your declaration of interest, regiments begin reviewing candidates. If and when a regiment decides it is not interested in taking a cadet, it will drop them as early as possible. This is a necessity, as it gives the candidate time to pick up another regiment and build a relationship with them before the formal board.

Inevitably, some cadets are dropped multiple times. This requires approaching new regiments, often at short notice. It can be uncomfortable, but it is part of the process.

Familiarisation Visits

You have two opportunities for regimental visits during Sandhurst.

Visit 1: Week 12

The first visit is towards the end of Junior Term, in Week 12. This is typically a visit to your first choice regiment, where you will spend time on barracks and continue building relationships with the officers.

Even if you have visited this regiment before arriving at Sandhurst, this visit remains important. It gives the regiment an opportunity to get to know you as a cadet, and for you to demonstrate how you have developed since you last met.

Visit 2: Week 22

The second visit takes place during Intermediate Term, in Week 22. This is either used by cadets visiting their second choice regiment, or by those who have been dropped by a regiment and need to build a relationship with a new one quickly.

With the board itself only four weeks later, this visit is your final opportunity to make a strong impression before the formal interviews.

The Regimental Selection Board

In Week 26, the formal Regimental Selection Board takes place.

Most regiments will take two candidates to board for each available place. As an example, if the Royal Corps of Signals have 20 commissions available, they will take 40 cadets to board. The only exceptions are regiments that, for whatever reason, have not attracted enough applicants to satisfy the 2:1 ratio.

Each candidate will conduct a formal interview with both of the regiments they have applied to. They last around 30 minutes, and are typically conducted by the Regimental or Corps Colonel, in addition to other senior officers and regimental representatives.

Possible Outcomes

Candidates receive one of three outcomes for each interview:

When results are announced, those with unconditional offers from both regiments must choose which one to accept. Those with conditional offers must wait to see whether a place opens up, which depends on how other cadets decide.

Clearing

A small number of cadets, typically no more than five percent, will not have secured a place in either of their interviews. This is not necessarily a reflection of their ability. Some very strong cadets end up in clearing simply because they applied to two highly competitive regiments and, for whatever reason, did not get either. The process is competitive, and even capable candidates can miss out.

Clearing works much like the university system. Over the following days and weeks, cadets without a place will meet regiments that still have vacancies. Many good regiments will still have spaces at this stage.

The format is similar: interviews, conversations, and then offers. Every cadet who completes Sandhurst will receive a commission with a regiment. Nobody passes out without one.

Commissioning

At the end of Sandhurst, you will receive your commission at the Sovereign's Parade. This moment marks your official transition from officer cadet to commissioned officer.

From this point, you belong to your regiment, and your career in the British Army truly begins. After the parade, you swap your academy beret for your chosen regimental headdress, a symbolic moment that represents the culmination of your journey through AOSB and Sandhurst.

Frequently Asked Questions

Final Thoughts

When you first hear about the RSB process it can sound daunting. This is something I know from personal experience. You will probably feel slightly uneasy about arriving at Sandhurst without knowing which regiment you will join. That is understandable.

And I’d be lying if I didn’t tell you that, for some cadets, the process can be difficult. However, by and large, the process does work. Most people who have been through it would agree. Cadets generally do end up in the right place, though the journey getting there is not always plain sailing.

Make sure you take the bull by the horns. As soon as you pass Briefing, start visiting regiments through Potential Officer Visits. Be realistic about your choices. Build genuine relationships with the regiments you're interested in. And remember that fit matters. You're looking for a regiment where you'll be happy serving, not just one with a prestigious reputation.

By the time you reach the Sovereign's Parade, you'll have found your place. And that's when your real career as a British Army officer begins.