Start with the service you are applying to
Read the official information about your branch, role and training. For an Army route, understand the official description of service and the path you selected. Naval and Air Corps applicants should add branch-specific knowledge rather than recycling an Army summary.
Distinguish current verified information from a historical example. If you mention an operation, policy or announcement, check its date and current status before using it. This guide does not provide a permanent list of supposedly current facts.
Use a simple source check
For each topic, record the source, publication date, event date and a short summary in your own words. Prefer the original official announcement for facts about the Defence Forces, then use reputable reporting for wider context.
Separate a reported fact from an opinion or your own inference. If sources disagree, identify what remains uncertain rather than selecting the version that makes the easiest interview answer.
Practise explaining rather than reciting
Choose a topic and explain the event, why it matters and what you still need to verify. Keep the response proportionate to the question. Do not turn a factual question into a rehearsed political speech.
If asked something you do not know, be accurate about that limit. Inventing a number, mission detail or policy is more harmful to clarity than explaining what you can support and what would need checking.
Keep this work in balance
Current-affairs preparation does not replace your own competency evidence. The 2026 Army cadet interview areas require examples of action and behaviour, not only knowledge of news.
Use a small regularly updated set of notes rather than a large stock of stale answers. Recheck time-sensitive material before interview and follow any preparation instructions in your own invitation. PSP does not claim that a particular news topic will appear.
Questions about this stage
Will a specific current-affairs question be asked?
No specific question is promised here. Follow your invitation and prepare accurate service knowledge.
Should I memorise a list of facts?
Understand a manageable set of verified topics and practise explaining them. Recheck facts that can change.
Sources and current instructions
These guides explain the preparation process. Check your current competition booklet and invitation before relying on a requirement or date.
Official decisions, eligibility, medical clearance and assessment results belong to the recruiting organisation. A PSP practice score is not an official pass mark or selection prediction.