How to join the Canadian Armed Forces as a non-commissioned member or an officer, in the Regular Force or the Reserve Force: the minimum requirements, the application and screening steps, the medical exam and interview, and the nine-week Basic Military Qualification course at Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu.
Applies in: CA
This guide covers one decision: how to join the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) through the published recruiting process, and what happens after enrolment. The CAF has two member types and two components, and the choice between them changes the education minimum and the training that follows. A non-commissioned member (NCM) is the general service member; an officer holds a commission and leads. The Regular Force serves full time. The Reserve Force serves part time, typically one or more evenings a week and on weekends at a location close to home, supporting the Regular Force at home and abroad, with some reservists volunteering for deployment when positions are available. This guide states the process only as the CAF states it on its joining and training pages, keeps the member types and components separate, and makes no enrolment promise.
Start with the combination that fits your education and availability, because the minimums follow the combination. To join as a non-commissioned member you need Grade 10 or 24 credits of Secondary IV in Quebec. To join as an officer you need Grade 12 or Secondary V in Quebec and a bachelor's degree, or to be working towards one; if you do not meet that requirement, you may be eligible for one of the CAF's paid education programs. Both member types need Canadian citizenship or permanent resident status. Education completed outside Canada needs an Educational Credential Assessment for the high school credential and the highest level of education, completed before the application is submitted.
The component choice is about time, not about a lesser process. Regular Force members serve full time, are ready to respond at a moment's notice, and work with the United States to defend North America. Reserve Force members serve part time and typically train close to home; the CAF states that reservists are guaranteed full-time summer employment for the first four years of a Reserve career, and that deployments are not mandatory but opportunities exist for those interested. Two further programs sit alongside the standard routes. The Naval Experience Program offers accelerated enrolment, nine-week basic military training, and four weeks of naval training, followed by time with the fleet on the east or west coast. Programs for Indigenous Peoples include the Indigenous Leadership Opportunity Year, a one-year educational program through the Royal Military College of Canada, and summer training programs. Read the occupation list for the component you want, and apply only to careers and entry programs the CAF is actively processing, or your application is held.
The application starts in the online application portal. The joining page states that you will need original copies of your birth certificate, government-issued photo identification, transcripts from your highest level of education completed, proof of trade qualifications and professional licences, and any additional forms required for the trade or job selected. Overseas education must be presented with a Canadian equivalency from the Alliance of Credential Evaluation Services of Canada. Keep the originals ready before you start: the portal tasks include references, employment and education history, and a security screening form, and incomplete tasks are the reason some applicants are never contacted further.
The security screening form asks for legal names and contact details, citizenship, residences, professional background for the last five years including supervisors, and three personal references who have known you for at least a year, are not relatives, and together total at least five years of acquaintance, with at least one reference from a job or school. The form gives consent for verification of the information provided, contact with references, a credit check, and a criminal record check. The CAF states that most applicants can expect the screening to take about two weeks, and that mistakes or problems reaching references lengthen it. Ask your references for permission before naming them, keep your information current in the applicant self-serve portal, and be completely honest: the background-check step states that the CAF will verify all forms submitted, and that certain factors, such as involvement in serious criminal activity, may result in an applicant being determined ineligible.
The background check has two layers. First, a criminal record name check confirms that applicants meet basic eligibility requirements before referral to security screening. Then, if approved to proceed, applicants fill out reliability screening forms: the background check is meant to ensure the applicant is trustworthy with sensitive information. The CAF states that the process is competitive and that only applicants who complete all portal tasks and are selected for an interview are contacted for further steps.
The assessments that follow are the SEAF and the TSD-PI. All applicants complete the Scored Employment Application Form (SEAF), which evaluates achievement orientation, physical fitness and athletics, teamwork and leadership, realistic expectations and person-job fit, and well-roundedness. It is conducted online and may be completed over multiple sessions. All applicants also complete the Trait Self Descriptor Personality Inventory (TSD-PI), a 30-minute personality inventory that provides measurable information on personal characteristics and qualities so recruiters can further assess and rank applicants. The important correction for anyone researching from older material: in October 2024 the CAF replaced the Canadian Forces Aptitude Test (CFAT) with the SEAF. The CFAT was a multiple-choice written test; it no longer serves as the general applicant assessment. Do not spend money on CFAT preparation material, and do not treat a CFAT score or practice result as evidence about your current application. Aircrew selection is separate, with its own testing at the Canadian Forces Aircrew Selection Centre at 8 Wing Trenton for pilot, aerospace control officer, and air combat systems officer candidates.
The medical exam has two parts. First, a medical history questionnaire, including specific information on medication, followed by a physical exam that measures height and weight and evaluates vision, colour perception, and hearing. Second, a medical file review determines any limitations that will affect training and the career. The CAF modernized its medical enrolment standard so that individuals assessed as medically fit may attempt basic training, assessing applicants case by case against the demands of basic training and the job-specific requirements. No vision, hearing, weight, or other medical threshold is stated in this guide, because no official page states one.
The interview with a military career counsellor is the official job interview and a very important step. Applicants are asked about work history, knowledge of the CAF, and understanding of the job selected. Prepare by learning the occupation properly: its duties, its training pipeline, and where its members serve. The CAF also operates a probationary period, in place since December 31, 2024, under which applicants can begin training while waiting for security clearance and other administrative work. During probation, new Regular Force and Primary Reserve members are evaluated for suitability for continued service, must meet the medical and security status or clearance requirements of their occupation, and may be released on a fair but expedited basis if they do not meet the standards, including the standards of professional conduct. Passing the interview is not enrolment, and enrolment under probation is not yet confirmed service.
Everyone who joins must complete Basic Military Qualification (BMQ). For most Regular Force candidates it runs nine weeks at the Canadian Forces Leadership and Recruit School (CFLRS) in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Quebec. Reserve candidates complete similar objectives at their local unit or a CAF training centre. The course is built on four pillars: professional conduct and culture, resilience, physical fitness, and military skills. A typical day starts at 5 a.m. and ends between 6 p.m. and 7 p.m., with evenings spent studying or preparing. The first week covers settling in, kit issue, and medical and fitness screenings. Week two covers dress and drill, including two 3-kilometre rucksack marches. Week three covers first aid, including CPR and severe injury management. Week four covers weapon handling, including the C7A2 service weapon. Week five covers military skills, radio communications, map reading, and the laws governing the use of armed force. Week six is physical training and test week, including the FORCE evaluation and drill assessment. Week seven covers chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear training, including the gas hut exercise. Week eight is field training, ending in a final exercise. Week nine is graduation.
The FORCE evaluation in week six must be passed to continue BMQ. Its four components are 20-metre rushes, a sandbag lift, intermittent loaded shuttles, and a sandbag drag. An initial fitness screening in the first week covers walking, speed and agility, and strength and power. The CAF publishes a pre-basic training fitness program to help applicants build a minimum level of fitness before arrival, and the joining page advises starting training before arrival because recruits must be successful in the week-six test to continue. Officer candidates complete Basic Military Officer Qualification (BMOQ), which covers everything BMQ candidates do, adds four weeks, and adds leadership training on the 12 principles of leadership and the 16 steps of battle procedure, including section attacks, defensives, raids, and reconnaissance missions. After basic training, members are sent to their trade school for their next career course, then posted to their home unit.
This guide states no pay, allowance, pension, or benefit figure, because no official page states one. It states no application, assessment, or training fee. It states no CFAT question count, time limit, or pass mark, because the CFAT no longer serves as the general applicant assessment and no current official applicant page publishes such figures; the SEAF and TSD-PI are described only as the joining page describes them, with no score or cut-off stated. It states no medical threshold beyond the examination components quoted above, no overall processing timeline, and no enrolment promise for any occupation or component. Where no figure is stated here, the guide points to the CAF recruiting pages and the recruiter who owns it. Confirm every requirement, document, and date on the CAF's joining pages and with your recruiting centre on the day you apply.
It depends on whether you join as a non-commissioned member or as an officer. A non-commissioned member needs Grade 10 or 24 credits of Secondary IV in Quebec. An officer needs Grade 12 or Secondary V in Quebec and a bachelor's degree, or to be working towards one, and the Canadian Armed Forces states that applicants who do not meet that requirement may be eligible for one of its paid education programs. Education completed outside Canada needs an Educational Credential Assessment for the high school credential and the highest level of education before the application is submitted. Confirm the requirement for the exact occupation and entry program you choose on the recruiting pages, because some occupations set higher education requirements than the general minimum.
No, not as the general applicant assessment. In October 2024 the Canadian Armed Forces replaced the Canadian Forces Aptitude Test, a multiple-choice written test, with the Scored Employment Application Form, known as the SEAF. The SEAF evaluates candidates on education, experience, leadership, and other life achievements. The joining page also describes a Trait Self Descriptor Personality Inventory, a 30-minute personality inventory that gives recruiters measurable information on personal characteristics and qualities. Preparation material that still sells CFAT practice tests describes a test that no longer serves as the general assessment, so do not buy CFAT preparation on the assumption that it is the current gate. Aircrew occupations are a separate case with their own selection centre testing at 8 Wing Trenton, and Indigenous program applicants have their own rules, so confirm the assessment that applies to your occupation with a recruiter.
Yes, a permanent resident can join: the minimum is Canadian citizenship or permanent resident status for both non-commissioned members and officers. The minimum age is 17 for a non-commissioned member and 16 for an officer on the joining page, with the consent of a custodial parent or legal guardian required for enrolment of an applicant under 18 on the day of enrolment, and the page directs applicants to the full Qualifications for Enrolment for complete information. The maximum age is based on age 60 less the minimum years of service required for the career chosen, and the page tells applicants to ask a recruiter for the minimum number of years for their occupation. Do not assume a single cut-off age applies to every occupation: the service-length arithmetic differs by career, so get the figure for your chosen occupation from a recruiter before you plan around it.
The joining page describes a two-part medical exam. First there is a medical history questionnaire, including specific information on medication, followed by a physical exam that measures height and weight and evaluates vision, colour perception, and hearing. The second step is a medical file review to determine any limitations that will affect training and the career. The February 2025 recruitment modernization update states that the medical enrolment standard was modernized so that individuals assessed as medically fit may attempt basic training, with assessment on a case-by-case basis against the demands of basic training and the job-specific requirements. This guide states no vision, hearing, or other medical threshold, because no official page states one. Disclose medications and conditions fully on the questionnaire, and ask a recruiter or the medical staff what a specific condition means for your chosen occupation rather than relying on a preparation site.
For most full-time Regular Force candidates, Basic Military Qualification, or BMQ, takes place at the Canadian Forces Leadership and Recruit School in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Quebec, about 20 minutes outside Montreal, and lasts nine weeks. Part-time candidates joining a local Primary Reserve unit complete similar BMQ objectives, delivered at the local reserve unit or at a Canadian Armed Forces training centre depending on the unit. The nine-week course covers military life, dress and drill, first aid, weapon handling, military skills, physical training, chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear training, and field training, ending in graduation week. The FORCE evaluation is in week six and must be passed to continue BMQ; it has four components: 20-metre rushes, a sandbag lift, intermittent loaded shuttles, and a sandbag drag. Officer candidates complete Basic Military Officer Qualification, which adds four weeks and leadership training. No other fitness score is stated in this guide, because no official page states one.
The process is competitive and passing a step does not guarantee enrolment. The joining page states that the application process is very competitive, that applications are processed in priority based on the career and entry program selected, and that an application for a career the Canadian Armed Forces is not actively processing is held until positions become available or the applicant selects a career and entry program on the processing list. Only applicants who complete all application submission tasks in the online portal and are selected for an interview are contacted for further steps. Since December 31, 2024, applicants can begin training while waiting for security clearance and other administrative work under a probationary period, and a recruit who does not meet the necessary security clearance, personnel assessment, or medical or other requirements during that period will be released. Treat any timeline from a preparation site as unverified: no overall processing timeline is stated in this guide, because no official page states one.
Figures not stated in this guide: all pay, allowance, pension, and benefit figures; all fees; all CFAT format, question-count, and pass-mark figures; all medical thresholds beyond the examination components quoted above; all processing timelines; and any occupation-specific requirement beyond the general minimums stated on the joining page. Check the CAF joining pages and your recruiting centre for current requirements before you apply.