Admiralty Interview Board The Admiralty Interview Board ( AIB ) is an assessment centre used by the Naval service as part of the Officer selection process for the Royal Navy , Royal Marines , Royal Naval Reserve , Royal Marines Reserve , and Royal Fleet Auxiliary . It is an equivalent of the Army Officer Selection Board and the Officer and Aircrew Selection Centre of the Royal Air Force . The board is based at HMS " Sultan " in Gosport , Hampshire within a self - contained compound . Application process . Applicants for the Royal Navy undertake initial suitability testing and interviews at an Armed Forces Careers Office . Once initial suitability has been assessed and a preferred specialisation identified the candidate will be loaded onto a board . Boards are undertaken over a two - day period with candidates loaded as Royal Navy , Royal Marines or Royal Fleet Auxiliary . Successful completion of the board is a precursor to possible selection as a candidate for training . The Board is not itself competitive , with candidates being scored on the performance . The score is then used to assign places on initial officer training . The Board . The Board consists of a range of academic , physical , mental and aptitude tests assessing suitability for future employment . Potential Officers for the Royal Marines will also be required to undertake a Potential Officers ' Course at the Commando Training Centre Royal Marines ( CTCRM ) at Lympstone and Aircrew candidates will have taken Flying Aptitude Tests at RAF Cranwell prior to attending the AIB . Each board is presided over by a Board President ( a Captain or a Commander ) who is assisted by a Lieutenant Commander and a Lieutenant ( or their Royal Marine equivalents ) . Each board considers a syndicate of four candidates and up to three concurrent boards could be ongoing . Each Board is supported by a senior rating or senior NCO , responsible for the administration and briefing of candidates Candidates arrive at the AIB complex on the evening prior to commencement . Following a site briefing there is an opportunity for candidates to meet with peers and establish the relationships required over the course of the assessment . Day one . The first day on the board is predominantly taken up with academic testing exploring the candidate ' s intellectual and practical abilities . Areas assessed include verbal and non - verbal reasoning , numerical ability , speed and accuracy , spatial orientation , and service knowledge . After these are completed , candidates are given 45 minutes to write an essay on a subject chosen from a prescribed list , as an assessment of written powers of communication . Upon completion of these tests the candidates are presented with a sample Planning Exercise , a significantly simpler version of the exercise that they will complete subsequently . After being briefed on this they are conducted to the gymnasium where they will be briefed on the Practical Leadership Tasks ; practical techniques , equipment familiarisation , and health and safety issues . The day completes with a Multi - Stage Fitness Assessment , to determine fitness , motivation and determination . Day two . The second day is assessed by the board president and staff through observation and interview . Each candidate will lead a Practical Leadership Task in the gymnasium . Syndicates attempt tasks selected from a range of scenarios ; load carries across chasms or pools using supplied equipment . The assessed planning exercise is undertaken under assessed condition . The syndicate is given a short period to study the scenario , a problem is then introduced which must be overcome . Candidates discuss possible courses of action as a group , presenting a group plan to the Board . Each candidate is then questioned on the scenario and the group plan . After this , each candidate presents an individual plan arrived at on their own , which may or may not be the same as the group plan , depending on the flaws that the questioning turned up . The final task is the interview . Here , over a period of thirty minutes , candidates are interviewed about their past achievements , experiences of difficulty overcome , and examined as to their motivations in joining the Naval Service . Outcome . Candidates are given the outcome of the assessment before being released . Based on the score achieved candidates may have reached the required standard , be required to be reassessed following a period of 12 months or are considered as not - suitable . Notwithstanding the outcome candidates with marginal scores may not meet the required performance threshold to be loaded onto training at Britannia Royal Naval College in Dartmouth . In some cases candidates not reaching the required score for their preferred branch may be offered an alternative . A candidate who meets the required score for consideration and is not offered a training place will be required to re - present at AIB after 12 months .