Preparation for Officer Candidates School begins the moment you decide to apply for Marine
Officer Candidate programs. To be ready for the rigors and challenges of OCS you need to
be physically and mentally prepared. This training will be unlike anything you have
experienced in your life. Here is some general guidance to help you prepare for OCS. Refer
to the OCS Web Site and your Officer Selection Officer (OSO) for more guidance.

"Congratulations, You Were Selected for OCS!"

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 that will help you get schooled up on OCS.

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 web site. You should visit the OCS web site frequently
for preparation information.

Remember 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 isn't a first class PFT then you will not be
allowed to 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.


"Finally, It's Time to Ship"

If you are flying to OCS your ticket will be paid for by the Marine Corps. OCC candidates may
drive personal vehicles to OCS. All the candidates that are going to OCS will meet with the
OSO on the Saturday before shipping. Your OSO will do one last check to make sure you
are all set and then you will be put up in a hotel for the night. The next morning your OSO will
take you to the airport and put you on a commercial flight to Washington DC. Marine liaisons
will be waiting at the airport in Washington DC to take you to OCS.

Disclaimer:  It is very important to note that none of these physical training programs should
be started by anyone until you have consulted a licensed physician and you are told you are
medically qualified to begin this specific type of physical training.

First and foremost you need to be physically prepared for OCS. You can not get ready for
OCS in just a couple of weeks. You should allow yourself  two months of physical training at
a minimum in order to adequately prepare for OCS. Your body will endure a wide variety of
physical hardships and unless your body is in overall very good condition you will be prone
to getting sports injuries.

We recommend that you train for running moderate distances at varying paces with combat
boots and running shoes.  It is essential that you use a good pair of running shoes, not the
ones that the guy at the Foot Locker said were cool, but the kind you get at a professional
running store after the trained sales rep has watched you run and walk. Running injuries are
common at OCS so you must do everything you can to prevent running injuries. If your
shoes are more than a year old it's time to start looking for a new pair.

Also, you will need to have a sufficient amount of upperbody strength to pull yourself and
your fire team up the many obstacles you will negotiate while in training. A weight training
routine combined with circuit training is recommended. Abdominal exercises will also be very
important to round out your workout.

The Physical Fitness Test (PFT)
The PFT is the standard test that all Marines run twice a year to assess their physical
condition. The test consists of a three-mile run, pull-ups (no time limit) or flexed arm hang
and  crunches (two minute time limit). For males to get a maximum score they need to run
three miles in  18:00, do 20 pull-ups and 100 crunches.  For females to get a maximum
score they need to run three miles in 21:00, do the flexed arm hang for 70 second and do
100 crunches.

The minimum score to apply for any Marine Officer program is a 225. Before you ship to
OCS you should shoot for a 270 or higher. If you want to compute your score download the
PFT calculator program.

More Resources for Physical Preparation
If you are looking for workout routines we have posted some links to downloads below. The
best resource by far for physical preparation is the candidate preparation page at www.ocs.
usmc.mil. Medical personnel at OCS have developed various workouts for males and
females. Each workout program is designed to get you in optimal shape for OCS.
Check the OCS web site for more custom tailored workout plans.


We encourage all applicants and candidates to train with the Officer Selection Officer at
your campus or at the Raleigh office any time.

If you have any questions about getting prepared for OCS call your OSO and he will be
happy to help you.