Officer Candidate School (OCS) is a military school that trains civilians and enlisted personnel to become commissioned officers in the armed forces of a country. The way OCS is run differs between countries and services. In the United States Armed Forces, Officer Candidate School (OCS) is a training program for college graduates and non-commissioned officers.

Here are some common questions and answers related to OCS:

• Who can apply for OCS? Applying is open to civilians, active-duty enlisted, Army Reserve, and National Guard. In the United States, you must be a U.S. citizen and have your bachelor’s degree by the time you are commissioned as an Officer. The general age requirement is between 19 and 32. You also have to be eligible for a secret security clearance. If you’re current military, you can’t have more than six years of active service before joining OCS.

• What is the duration of OCS? The duration of OCS varies among the services and countries. In Singapore, OCS lasts approximately 38 weeks. In the United States, OCS is a 12-week program.

• What is taught in OCS? All OCS programs teach military subjects, leadership skills, and physical training. In Singapore, the first term consists of military knowledge applicable to all services, including military history and military law. Subsequently, Officer Cadets are streamed into their services based on aptitude and personal preference and receive training specific to their service. In the United States, before enrolling in OCS, civilians must complete the 10-week Army Basic Combat Training or equivalent military basic skills course. Enlisted and Army Reserve Soldiers enrolling in OCS would have already completed the course.

• What is the rank of graduates from OCS? At graduation, you will be given a formal commission as a U.S. Army Officer and assigned to the rank of second lieutenant, the lowest of the commissioned ranks.

• How can I make sure I’m a competitive applicant for OCS? While civilian college graduates and current military candidates do not compete with each other for available OCS slots, the more prepared you are for the physically rigorous demands of OCS, the better. About 65% of OCS applicants are accepted.

• Can I pick any job I want after OCS? After you rank your top job choices based on what the Army has available, you’ll be matched with one of your preferred jobs based on an assessment of how your OCS scores and qualifications match the needs of the role.

• What is life like at OCS? While at OCS, you live in the barracks, whic...