Hello,
Just finished a stint as a Military Career Counsellor, and will try to give you a hand with this one. The recruiting process changes all the time so some of this info may be dated, so it's best to check with a clerk/MCC at a CFRC....
1) CFAT is good for 5 years. If you want to go into a trade with a cutoff threshold higher than what you scored, you may rewrite 3 months after the original testing date if the CFRC so chooses to let you. Careful - after the first rewrite the policies governing retesting are very strict and rewrites seldom granted.
2) Medical is good for one year, with the clock starting from the Recruiting Medical Officer's OK (Ph III med). In cases of CT, your last medical by a CF doctor is valid for 5 years depending on your age.
3) Interview is good for 6 months, extended for another 6 months after an "update" interview done over the phone(it's been awhile, so this may be a bit inaccurate). To tell you the truth, the update if done for your advantage - it's to see if you've grown as an applicant and focused your life more towards the military. It's very rare a candidate's score will drop. However, if you apply for a new trade and/or change your desired component (Res to Reg) you should be called in ad re-interviewed as the obligations and terms of service are completely different.
4) PT. 6 months. If you fail it, you can be retested at anytime but you need to pay for it.
Some additional points, one or two of which may ignite a firestorm:
1) Each CFRC is a little different. The "steps" and "standards" are mandated by recruiting group, but the order of application is dictated by the CO of the centre in question ot best utilize local resources. CFRC Hamilton used to do the PT test AFTER an offer was cut, whereas CFRC Toronto did it up front after the CFAT because they had a bad shortage of MCCs. Some CFRCs use "Stations" where clerks have specific functions relating to a file that lands ont their desk(ERCs, etc) whereas others have "case managers" who follow a file from begining to end. It's not my place to say which system is best. Talk to someone at your recruiting centre about how your file "moves" so you can best track it.
2) The CT process is getting better. One huge flaw was the requirement for the CFRC to wait until a recommendation came from the applicant's reserve CO. This made it so CT files would languish in a unit as more "important" paperwork was done (note the sarcasm). Now, if the CFRC doesn't hear anything from the unit in 2 weeks, it's assumed the reserve CO concurs and the process initiated. That being said, if you have not completed BMQ yet don't even think of CT'ing....it's alot easier to come from the street to the Regs as there are fewer record checks, PLARs, etc involved.
3) You cannot delay an offer. You could turn it down and reapply immediately afterwards, but your file would be reboarded, etc. Stuff would stale-date and you'd need to do some things over. That being said, the date your offer starts is different from your reporting date. When you enrol in the Reg F, you may be put on Leave Without Pay (LWOP) until the begining of a course for you. However, Usually that period of time is minimized.
4) The recruiting process for NCMs can be very fast if there are no hiccups. I once saw someone get in in 6 weeks. The problem is, all the stars need to be aligned (apply to the proper trade at the right time) and no problems encountered. A criminal record will slow things down greatly, as the CFRC may need to consult higher HQ, consult CPIC, etc. Collections will need to be substantiated as paid, etc. Officers apps can be agonizingly slow, depending on the trade, how the branch manages its vacancies, and the availability of courses.
Hope this helps. The best thing I can advise is GET TO KNOW A CLERK. MCCs are overall responsible for the process, but are often fixated on people with problems or on conducting their interviews. When I was at CFRG I was doing 5-6 NCM interviews a day and didn't really have time to watch files get processed. The clerks are the guys doing the processing work and will know the centre's procedures inside and out.
, but joke aside.
