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Notice for PCA

Jalapeno peppers

Is it usually 4 weeks notice you are given for your PCA date? Or are you given 4 weeks from familiarisation session?

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KevBo2015

I believe (from peoples comments here in the past) its around 2 weeks to the visit and 2 weeks to the PCA. That seems to be the AVERAGE, there have been a few people who said their visit was 4 weeks from the letter.

I think they've to give you two weeks notice, so at any one point you can be 4 weeks from a PCA.

majgreen

I got 5 weeks notice for my PCA and the familiarisation session was 2 weeks before the date of the PCA.

Jalapeno peppers

Cool

I am training for it now anyway but I'm thinking for the purpose of having he day off work, do they usually do it day/ evening or at the weekend/ during the week or could it be literally anytime?

majgreen

Its monday - friday. You'll be given a timeslot of usually around early morning or early afternoon. You can only reschdule in extreme circumstances, so drop everything to get to it. I pulled a sickie in work to go! Def get training as much as you can, its the hardest 3.5 minutes of your life and afterwards you want to die lol

Jalapeno peppers

Should be fine my work will be flexible with me it looks deceptively easy at first I wasn't worried about it but coming on here I think I will be in for a shock!

majgreen

I know. When i stood at the start line i thought it would be a breeze. But by half way through lap 2 i was regretting those thoughts. Its only a very basic test. The test gets harder if you want to move on to different units! Just sprint wherever you can and push yourself past your limit. My last lap my vision was blurred, i felt faint and thought i was going to be sick (it was 1.30pm and i hadnt eaten all day, not recommended!). I knew this was my only chance so just ran and ran and i made it. Somehow!

Jalapeno peppers

I really have a one track mind at the minute so I am training very hard for it I have always been a log distance runner so I am not too worried about my cardio fitness but it might be hard to translate running for 4 plus hours at a slow pace into that circuit which is high intensity over a short space of time, doing a lot of circuit style training in my house at the minute and using a lot of the recommended exercises, the News had me worried when it said about female applicants but I don't see 26kg as being hat heavy for the push pull I can easily push or pull that on a cable or seated row machine....?

majgreen

Yeah i honestly wouldnt worry too much about the push/pull. You get to try it before you do your test and plenty of the ladies have aced it so far. If your cardio is good then you shouldnt struggle with the circuit, its worth noting that if you knock over any of the cones/bars, or fall off the balance beam, then you have to start that section again. So make sure you go carefully. Practice circuits as much as you can, i wish i did. I literally went to the gym 3-4 nights a week for a month, i ran 1.5 miles and then did some basic weight training and it was enough for me to pass

Jalapeno peppers

Yeah my friend who did it said that you are best taking each obstacle at a steady pace but sprinting between them which I think is good advice, my PT says that circuits are the best possible training for it so I'm sticking to that, I hope my nerves don't get he better of me on the day, I feel that I have so much riding on it at this stage!

majgreen

Yeah, thats pretty solid advice. If you have a decent level of fitness already then you shouldnt have any problems. Just keep calm and you'll be okay!

KevBo2015

Thanks majgreen for the advice here, useful information there. It does look easy on the youtube video and think that has its part to play in people failing it. I've so much riding on it too, I suppose everyone has when they get to that stage. Nearly a year since we applied and we still have a way to go yet before getting in..... madness.

majgreen

its a very long process. I had 6 months between my PCA and getting my phone call. Just practice practice practice and you'll all do fine!

Shield

majgreen wrote: »

its a very long process. I had 6 months between my PCA and getting my phone call. Just practice practice practice and you'll all do fine!

Can you tell us how you prepared for it, how long you were preparing for it, and what you found useful?

Thanks,

-Shield.

majgreen

To be honest, I had completely given up. I didnt think i was in with a shout because of how long things were taking, and HR wouldnt give me any information on my application other than "you are on the merit list". In terms of fitness post PCA and medical i slowly stopped putting as much effort into it. Now, in hindsight, i would 100% tell people not to quit until you are told its a no go. I have a very short time to get my fitness back to a good standard before training starts.

In terms of the PCA, i think i stated above somewhere that for the 5 weeks leading up to it i went to the gym 4 nights a week, about an hour each time. I only worked on the basics, being cardio (both 1.5 mile runs and sprint bursts) and then some upper body strength with the free weights. I was quite impressed with how much of a difference it made in just 4-5 weeks, and it will make a difference.

I watched the PCA on youtube and i was one of the ones who thought "that will be a breeze!". Dont get sucked into that. Break each step of it down, and practice it wherever you can. Go steady on the obstacles, sprint between them where you can and as fast as you can. That was my method, and it did me well. Everyone will be different, and if you can then attend the familiarisation session (i couldnt and i was gutted). On the day you get around 5 minutes to test the course before you actually do it. This is where you can try the push/pull machine too. I didnt get around to trying this and nearly failed it, so get yourself a go on it to see how it works!

This turned into a bit of an essay, but hopefully it'll help some people out

KevBo2015

Thanks for the information, not an essay at all. The more in the post the better, I'd like a much longer one actually haha. The more detail the better in my opinion. =]

majgreen

Well, im no expert but feel free to ask away if there's anything in particular you want to know!

Sthm

Just received a PCA invite today.

You're talking around six weeks notice for anyone in the first batch.

majgreen

That a fair amount of time to get training!

KevBo2015

Sthm wrote: »

Just received a PCA invite today.

You're talking around six weeks notice for anyone in the first batch.

6 weeks for the fam visit or 6 weeks until the PCA??

Sthm

KevBo2015 wrote: »

6 weeks for the fam visit or 6 weeks until the PCA??

Six weeks, or thereabouts, for the PCA.

Jalapeno peppers

Can't check post until this evening! Nightmare my concentration will be out the window all day! Did they invite you to a familiarisation session?

Sthm

Not at the house myself to check it fully, guys. Just got the info relayed on, but I'd imagine the familiarisation will be in a few weeks.

Mop a top

People have shared their different experiences and training regimes in the PCA thread, might be worth a scroll back. Just a note, the push pull isn't 26kg of weight, it's a force of 26kg which is different. I lift bags of horse feed at 25kg all the time and tbh I don't know what my scores were but that was more difficult than shifting a trailer full of feed lol. Same as the rest, it looks easy on YouTube and it's do-able but it's mind over matter, it will start killing you at some point and you've got to dig deep and run faster than you think is possible. Any doubt at all and you may as well not start. Positive attitude the entire time guys and good luck

MissWillow12

Got mine there.

Jalapeno peppers

I haven't gotten anything through yet, I wonder if there has been some issue with vetting or something.... I wonder if this means I'm out of the running or are they processing us in batches?

Anyone else not gotten it who was waiting?

Are they maybe sending them out based on AC score, I'm low 80s has anyone in 70s or low 80s receiving them?

Mop a top

MissWillow12 wrote: »

Got mine there.

Mega like for this!!!!!!!

Mop a top

Jalapeno peppers wrote: »

I haven't gotten anything through yet, I wonder if there has been some issue with vetting or something.... I wonder if this means I'm out of the running or are they processing us in batches?

Anyone else not gotten it who was waiting?

Are they maybe sending them out based on AC score, I'm low 80s has anyone in 70s or low 80s receiving them?

Settle! It will come. They won't do them all at once. I passed my PCA in April and vetting didn't pass until august.

chickidee

6 weeks will fly by!

I think the success rate will be higher this time, as people are more aware of what to expect.

Suzuka

Got my PCA date

Pete84

Hi, I got my date today but I'm unable to attend on that date due to a appointment that there is no way I can miss. Has anyone heard of people getting there PCA date changed? Are they run over a couple of days or would I have to wait to the next batch potentially 6 weeks after to do it? Having a bit of a melt down here as this is my number 1 priority but I can't miss this appointment.