THE first four candidates to pass the new exams for Royal Navy chaplains passed last month.

The four candidates, of different denominations, took part in a modified version of the Admiralty Interview Board (AIB) that was tailored more towards members of the clergy (News, 28 June).

The Revd Neil Robertson, of the Church of England; the Revd David Young, of the Church of Scotland; the Revd Mike Woodall, of the Baptist Church; and the Revd Victor Dakwan, of the Roman Catholic Church, all passed the AIB at HMS Sultan, Hampshire, last month.

The Chaplain Recruiter for the Royal Navy, the Revd Martin Evans, said: “They were all good candidates; so it gave us a good reflection for what we are after. They really gelled. They were all at HMS Sultan for two days, where they passed the fitness test, no problem, and then took part in leadership tasks. . . It was a very profound experience.”

Previously, prospective chaplains took part in the same AIB as regular officer applicantstested for the same competencies As the new AIB’s architect, Mr Evans said: “I am so chuffed, because it is not an easy climate to recruit in.”