How to Become a Navy SEAL: Requirements & Qualifications

Source: U.S. Navy

A college degree is not required; however, according to the U.S. Navy, 2- and 4-year degree holders are twice as likely to succeed as non-degree holders. If you choose to become a Navy SEAL after college, keep in mind that applicants older than 28 need a special waiver to be considered. An applicant must undergo a battery of screening tests. If those are passed, there is an intense training period and more testing before he can become a Navy SEAL. Individuals can enlist as civilians, as members of the Navy, or as members of other branches of the military, and can choose to apply as an enlisted man or as an officer.

Requirements for becoming a Navy SEAL include passing a physical screening test. The table below shows the minimum acceptable requirements in each category, as well as what is considered optimum physical performance for an enlisted man and an officer. Candidates with scores closer to the optimum level are more likely to be selected as SEALs.

In addition to the physical requirements, other Navy SEAL qualifications include passing the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB). This test contains the following 12 sections.

• Word Knowledge ( WK )
• Arithmetic Reasoning ( AR )
• Mechanical Comprehension ( MC )
• Shop Information ( SI )
• Automotive Information ( AI )
• Electronics Information ( EI )
• Mathematics Knowledge ( MK )
• General Science ( GS )
• Paragraph Comprehension ( PC )
• Assembling Objects ( AO )
• Verbal Expression ( VE ) - a scaled combination of WK+PC
• Coding Speed ( CS )

Navy SEAL candidates are required to achieve minimum individual and combined scores in the following areas:

• GS + MC + EI = 170
• VE + MK + MC + CS = 220
• VE + AR = 110
• MC = 50

Interested parties must also:

• Be a male U.S. citizen between 17-28 years old
• Have vision correctable to 20/20
• Provide a 10-year housing history, names and addresses of employers, and personal references

The lowest starting monthly basic pay for Navy SEALs is $1,514 per month for the first four months of service and thereafter $1,638 per month. This amount varies according to rank, level of training, and experience. Chron.com reports the following average monthly pay scales by rank for individuals with less than three years of service at the given rank:

• E-2, Seaman Apprentice, $1,836
• E-3 Seaman, $1,931
• E-4 Petty Officer Third Class, $2,139
• E-5 Petty Officer Second Class, $2,333
• E-6 Petty Officer First Class, $2,546
• E-7 Chief Petty Officer, $2.944
• E-8 Senior Chief Petty Officers, $4,235
• E-9 Master Chief Petty Officer $5,173
• W-1 Warrant Officer 1, $3,038
• W-2 Chief Warrant Officer 2, $3,461
• W-3 Chief Warrant Officer 3, $3,911
• W-4 Chief Warrant Officer 4, $4,282
• W-5 Chief Warrant Officer 5, $7,615
• 0-1 Ensign, $3,108
• 0-2 Lieutenant Junior Grade, $3,580
• 0-3 Lieutenant, $4,144
• 0-4 Lieutenant Commander, $4,713
• 0-5 Commander, $5,462
• 0-6 Captain, $6,552
• 0-7 Rear Admiral Lower Half $8,641
• 0-8 Rear Admiral $10,399
• 0-9 Vice Admiral $14,696
• 0-10 Admiral, $15,800

How long does it take to become a Navy SEAL? After passing the physical screening test twice, candidates have six weeks to complete boot camp before moving on to a special 2-month training program. The final step involves a 3-week orientation and an additional 21 weeks of training. The steps below provide more detailed information on how to get into the Navy SEALs.

Step 1: Sign the Contract

Those interested in joining the Navy are required to have a high school diploma or its equivalent and pass a drug and alcohol test. Additionally, applicants with criminal convictions may be barred from joining the Navy. When joining the Navy, recruits should ask to enter the SEAL Challenge Program. Those who join the program receive an enlistment bonus. Applicants must pass a physical exam and complete a series of tests with passing scores, including the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery test (ASVAB), the Armed Forces Qualification Test (AFQT), and the Computerized-Special Operations Resilience Test (C-SORT).

Aspiring Navy SEALs are assigned a SEAL mentor and enter the Delayed Entry Program (DEP), which allows them to wait a designated time before reporting to boot camp. While in the DEP, mentors prepare recruits for the SEALs Physical Training Test (PST). To stay in the SEAL Challenge program, candidates must pass the PST twice before boot camp. Recruits who do not pass the PSTs will not be accepted into the Navy SEALs program but will still be obligated to sign a contract with the Navy.

Step 2: Attend Boot Camp

Navy recruits attend boot camp at the Navy Recruit Training Command in Great Lakes, IL. Recruits who do not pass another PST within six weeks of starting boot camp are released from the SEAL Challenge Program. Boot camp consists of 1-hour fitness workouts and classroom lessons in topics such as naval history, first aid, Navy aircraft and ships, military customs, and uniform regulations. Recruits also receive hands-on training in firearms, combating fires onboard ships, and water survival techniques.

Step 3: Attend Special Warfare Preparatory School

The Naval Special Warfare Preparatory School is a 2-month pre-SEALs training program. At the prep school, recruits take part in physical conditioning that includes running, swimming, and strength building. At the end of training, recruits must pass a longer and more difficult PST, which includes a 4-mile run and a 1000-meter swim, to qualify for SEAL training.

Step 4: Complete BUD/S SEAL Training

Recruits who pass their last PST begin BUD/S (Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL) Training, which consists of a 3-week orientation followed by three 7-week segments. The physical conditioning portion of BUD/S training includes timed swims, runs, and obstacle courses that intensify over seven weeks. During the next phase, recruits learn scuba skills, underwater navigation, and combat diving. The last phase of BUD/S trains recruits in land warfare including firearms, rappelling, navigation, explosives, and intelligence gathering.

Navy SEAL recruits also complete free-fall and static line training at Tactical Air Operations. During training, recruits can learn emergency procedures, equipment management, landing techniques, and how to pilot a parachute. Recruits officially become Navy SEALs after passing SEAL Qualification Training (SQT), which includes Survival, Evasion, Resistance, and Escape (SERE) training.

To recap, aspiring Navy SEALs must meet specific background requirements and pass strenuous physical tests before they can begin the extensive training required to become a Navy SEAL.