Preparing for OCS - Knowledge

Congratulations, your going to OCS...

This training will be unlike anything you have experienced in your life thus far. Here is some general guidance to help you prepare for OCS. Refer to the OCS Website and your Officer Selection Officer (OSO) for more guidance.

Once you have been selected to go to OCS, start studying up on some of the things you will learn there. Below are some useful downloads in preperation for OCS.

-Sample of a Daily Schedule at OCS -

- Candidate Regulations -

- The OCS Preparation Guide -

- The Returning Seniors Test -

- OCS Quick Study Guide / Cheat Sheet -

- OCS Preparation Tips -

The OCS Prep Guide, the Candidate Regulations, your OSO and other trained candidates are your most useful resources for preparing for OCS. Your OSO has some videos that will help you prepare for OCS as well. Also, you can download a bunch of OCS videos from the Marine Corps Times OCC Class 186 website. You should visit the OCS Website frequently for preparation information.

Physical training is continuous!!! Don't slack off even after you have been selected because it will come back to haunt you. As a candidate you are expected to maintain a first class physical fitness test even though you might be shipping in eight months. There will be various candidate get togethers throughout the school year to teach you things you need to know for OCS and we will also be checking to make sure you are staying in shape. Read on for physical preparation guidance.

You Are Shipping In a Few Weeks, Get your affairs in order

Thirty days before you ship to OCS you will have to conduct a pre-ship screening and a pre-ship PFT with the OSO. The purpose of the pre-ship screening is to make sure that your are physically and mentally prepared for OCS. This gives us time to address any concerns or issues in a timely fashion before OCS. If your PFT is not a first class PFT then you will not ship to OCS and you will be disenrolled.

When you go to OCS you will be gone for six or ten weeks and you will not be able to communicate with the outside world except through mail. After the third week you will be given approximately 30 hours of off-base liberty every weekend until you graduate. Make sure you have your personal affairs in order. Here are some things you should do before you ship to OCS.

• Make sure you arrange to have your bills paid while you are training

• Let your school and work know that you will be at training for a good portion of the summer

• There me be a delay in receiving your pay at OCS initially so don't make plans for spending your OCS pay until your pay cycle begins

• Review the OCS Prep Guide and consult with your OSO to make sure you have completed everything you need to ship to OCS

• Continue studying the Candidate Regulations to that you can get a head start on OCS. Check the OCS Website for a more current version.

• If you are returning for your second 6-week session of OCS you must master the Returning Seniors Test. This is one of the first things you will do at OCS and if you fail it you will get dropped immediately. If this is your first time at OCS this is a good test to brush up on.

• If you have dependants, make sure that you have an adequate family care plan.