The best 274 have been selected for Recruit Intake 25

Phase three Gurkha Selection for Recruit Intake 25 was completed today. Thousands applied, and the best 274 were lucky to be selected and were told individually by the Officer Commanding British Gurkhas Pokhara, Major David Carter.

Gurkha Selection 2025
Gurkha Selection 2025
Gurkha Selection 2025

The potential recruits come to the camp in Pokhara in groups, and are then put through a series of tests and interviews. This includes the Doko race, 2km spring, jerry can carry, English and Mathematics tests, speaking assessments and interviews.

This process helps define who are the best and most suitable to join the Brigade of Gurkhas.

Gurkha Selection 2025
Gurkha Selection 2025

Once they are informed of their success, the introduction to how their training will be in Catterick starts straight away, within minutes. Their future instructors have made the trip to Nepal and start the process of turning these young Nepalese civilians into soldiers of the British Army.

Basic clothing and equipment is issues, hair cuts applied, and marching around camp starts in earnest as the instructors prepare for the Attestation parade in front of VIPs and family members in less than a week’s time.

The course in Catterick is 39-weeks long, very intense, and will produce Gurkhas the Brigade can be proud of.

Gurkha Selection 2025
Gurkha Selection 2025

For those who have been chosen, the expressions of joy and relief are often evident, characterized by broad smiles and an energetic bounce in the step.

Regrettably, many individuals are not selected, as the Brigade can only accommodate the number necessary to fulfill the manning requirements for the Brigade of Gurkhas within the British Army. While most candidates may have performed well in the various assessments, they may not have achieved results as favorable as those who were selected.

These young individuals may have the opportunity to reapply the following year, contingent upon their age, the number of attempts they have made, and the reasons for their non-selection this time. They navigate a more somber path around the camp, with administration points with recruitment officers, reclaiming their mobile phones, and receiving funds to assist them in returning to their homes throughout Nepal. For some, the journey back to their villages may take many hours or even days.