You can’t just become a SEAL; you have to earn your Trident. It’s a long and difficult process that requires intelligence, endurance, and loads of guts. The process is not complicated, but it’s quite difficult.

The Age Requirement

Applications are only accepted from those who are 28 years and above. Some Navy SEALs aspirants are given an age waiver, but only for those between 29-30 years of age and not above.

The Gender Requirement

In a nutshell, the Navy SEALs program does not accept woman applicants. This is because, according to a policy set by the Congress, women are excluded from active combat duty.

The Citizenship Requirement

You need to be a citizen of the United States of America to become a Navy SEAL.

If you are a citizen of a country other than America, then enlistment in the U.S Navy or any other branch of the U.S military is only open for legal residents of the United States, who also posses, what is called, the Immigration and Naturalization Service Alien Registrations Card, commonly called, the Green Card.

The Entrance Test

The Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery is something that you have to battle, first up.

This test is a pre-requisite if you want to get selected into the Navy SEAL program and includes the following topics:

Mathematics

Word Power

Paragraph Comprehension

Arithmetic

General Science

….. Etc

Upon the completion of these tests you are given a composite score, as well as, individual scores for each section. You must work hard to get enough qualifying scores to get into the SEAL program.

The Vision Requirement

Navy SEALs require superior vision as they are required to perform a variety of tasks that require precision. SEAL candidates might often have to correct their vision if they are to have a chance of qualifying for the difficult program.

The Enlisted Physical Screening Test or PST

All aspirants who want to become Navy SEALs have to go through this and come out perspiring but shining.

This physical screening test is designed in a way such that, it enables experts to gauge the physical ability of an applicant, in order to see whether they have the ability to tackle the strenuous Navy SEALs training.

Here are a few components of the PST:

Swimming 500 yards wherein the time limit is 12 minutes and 30 seconds

2 minutes given to perform a minimum of 42 push-ups

6 pull ups; there is no time limit here

50 sit-ups; the time limit is 2 minutes

Last but the not the least a one and a half mile run that should take no more than 11 minutes and 30 seconds.

There are periods of rest between each exercise, but this test is an inkling of things to come, if and when you enter the Navy SEALs program.

It must be said here, that these are just the preliminary tests before you embark on the challenging journey of becoming a Navy SEAL. These are the first steps in a long and difficult process of becoming one of the most impressive of all soldiering men in the U.S armed forces.