The Standard Obstacle Course or SOC in short, is an assessment on the combat fitness of soldiers, it is a requirement for combat fit soldiers below age 40 to undergo this assessment. The SOC had been redesigned since 2010 to suit the evolving operation environment the soldiers had to go through. The 12 obstacles, each designed with fitness training science considerations to meet the challenges of the increase on operations in an urbanised operational environment, are shown in the diagram below [1] [2]:
Assessment System
SOC is part of the syllabus from Basic Military Training (BMT) to leadership schools (Officer Cadets School and Specialist cadets School). In general, SOC is an individual requirement that simulates the jungle and urban operating environments to help soldiers gain coordination, mobility and confidence. [3] It is designed to assess the strength, agility and endurance …show more content…
For a male soldier below the age of 25, he will be required to complete the course below 4 mins and 45 seconds, in his No.4 combat uniform with helmet, Load Bearing Vest (LBV) and rifle. The passing requirement varies between different age groups and gender. The assessment for SOC is outcome orientated and measures the performance of individual learners.
The assessment system does not end with the learner completing within the requirement. The principal learning outcome requires the learners to overcome obstacles during operations. This is illustrated below:
The training and assessment process follows a summative assessment process. According to “Formative and Summative Assessment” [4] published by Arizona Western College:
Summative assessment takes place after the learning has been completed and provides information and feedback that sums up the teaching and learning process.