Entry standards

You can join 4 Mercian from age 17 to 43. At age 17 you need your parent's or guardian's consent. The upper age limit for an officer is 35, but there are exceptions.

You must be a UK, Commonwealth or Republic of Ireland national and have lived in the UK for the last five years. Commonwealth applicants need a UK residence permit.

You do not need qualifications, but for some specialist roles you need to show previous skills or qualifications.

All recruits must have a fitness assessment. You must be able to run 1.5 miles in under 12 minutes 30 seconds for infantry and under 14 minutes for non-infantry.

How do I join?

The first step is to contact us

• by phone
• by email
• at one of our TA centres listed on the left

We ask you to come to a TA centre on a Tuesday evening or during the day when our recruiting staff can start the enlistment process.

You have a brief interview where we tell you about us and we find out about you. We explain our unit role, the positions available in 4 Mercian, training commitments and opportunities, mobilisation, pay, the lifestyle, and the recruiting and selection process. We also explain the various policies and standards we hold in the British Army.

We fill in some forms and you complete the TA written entrance test.

You go on a Look At Life weekend. This shows you what being an infantry soldier is all about and lets us see if you are up to our high standards. 

You need to bring your

• birth certificate and passport - original documents, not photocopies
• National Insurance and National Health numbers

You must have a medical before we can accept you to make sure you reach the British Army basic health requirements.

Getting sworn in

Once we have completed the documentation and you have passed the Look At Life and medical you will be attested, that is sworn in, into Army Service by an officer.

Then you are ready to start your training as a soldier in 4 Mercian.

Queries

If you have any questions, contact the Company closest to you, see the pages listed on the left, or contact the 4 Mercian Recruiting Officer
Captain AA Miller
4 Mercian
Wolseley House
Fallings Park
WOLVERHAMPTON
WV10 9QR
Telephone: 01902 303804
Email: 4MERCIAN-BHQ-ROSO@mod.uk or
jointheta@yahoo.co.uk