An Historical Perspective on Submariner Selection in the South African Navy

Abstract

It is 40 years since the South African Navy (SAN) first started with the psychological selection of their submariners. This article traces the development of the selection process over the past four decades. Initially, it involved an intensive selection process, which included pen-and-paper tests, questionnaires, interviews, and skills assessments. Later validation of the process, as well as practical constraints, produced a number of consolidated pen-and-paper test batteries. The advent of democracy and the changing composition of the SAN forced the navy to make drastic changes to the selection model and to introduce a more fair system of psychometric assessment of individuals in the larger South African society. These effects are discussed before the article concludes with a view towards the future.