Required Training To Become A Navy SEAL: Navy Boot Camp, NSW Prep School, BUD/S, And SQT

What the Navy SEAL Training Path Actually Looks Like — Start to Finish

The Required Training to become a Navy SEAL includes Navy Boot Camp then NSW Prep School then BUD/S then SQT before you earn the Trident — and that full pipeline takes well over a year to complete. Here is the path in order:

1. Navy Boot Camp — 8 weeks of basic military training
2. Naval Special Warfare Preparatory School (NSW Prep) — 5 weeks of physical and academic preparation
3. BUD/S Orientation — 3-week introduction to the Naval Special Warfare Center
4. BUD/S Training — 24 weeks across three phases (Physical Conditioning, Combat Diving, Land Warfare)
5. Parachute Jump School — 3 weeks of airborne training
6. SEAL Qualification Training (SQT) — 26 weeks of advanced tactical skills
7. Trident awarded — You are now a Navy SEAL

After earning the Trident, expect another 12-18 months of pre-deployment training before your first mission.

Only about 9.5% of candidates who sign an enlistment contract make it all the way through SQT. This is one of the most demanding military pipelines on earth — not just physically, but mentally.

As one widely shared observation from SEAL trainers puts it: "It's 90% mental." The biggest reason candidates fail is not physical breakdown — it is psychological. Stress, sleep deprivation, and a lack of mental resilience end more careers than pulled muscles ever will.

I'm Larry Fowler, BUD/S Class 89 graduate, publisher of the USMilitary.com Network — a resource I have built since 2007 to help active-duty service members, recruits, and veterans navigate complex military decisions with confidence. My work covering the full spectrum of military career paths, including the grueling process of training to become a Navy SEAL through Navy Boot Camp, NSW Prep School, BUD/S, and SQT before earning the Trident, gives me a clear picture of what candidates need to know before they ever walk into a recruiter's office. In the sections below, I will break down every stage so you know exactly what to expect.

Training to Beome a Navy SEAL Requires Navy Boot Camp then NSW Prep School then BUD/S then SQT Before You Earn the Trident helpful reading:

• A Day In The Life Of A Navy SEAL Operator
• Navy SEALs BUD/S Training Requirements
• What is Navy SEAL Training 3 Phases And WHy is it so tough

Eligibility and the Physical Screening Test (PST)

Before you can even think about stepping onto the beach in Coronado, you have to prove you belong at the starting line. At USMilitary.com, we often emphasize that elite programs require elite preparation. The screening process is designed to weed out those who are not fully committed long before they ever face "surf torture."

Requirements to Enter the Pipeline

To secure a Special Operator (SO) contract, you must meet strict baseline criteria:

• Age: You must be between 18 and 28 years old (17-year-olds may enlist with parental consent).
• Citizenship: Active-duty SEALs must be United States citizens.
• Education: A high school diploma or equivalent is mandatory. College degrees are not required for enlisted paths, though statistics show that candidates with degrees have significantly higher completion rates.
• ASVAB Scores: You must meet specific cognitive benchmarks. The required composite scores are either GS+MC+EI=165 or VE+MK+MC+CS=220. No waivers are available for these scores.
• Vision: Uncorrected vision must be no worse than 20/70 in your better eye and 20/100 in your worse eye, correctable to 20/20.
• Character and Background: You must be eligible for a secret security clearance, pass a rigorous medical screening (including a dive physical), and possess a clean moral character.

You will also take the C-SORT (Computerized Special Operations Resiliency Test), which assesses your mental fortitude, performance under stress, and psychological resilience.

The Physical Screening Test (PST): Minimums vs. Competitive Reality

Meeting the minimum physical requirements will secure you an enlistment contract, but it rarely translates to success in training. In fact, historical data shows that candidates who only meet the bare minimums have a single-digit chance of completing BUD/S.

To give yourself the best chance of survival, you must aim for competitive scores. Below is a breakdown of what the Navy requires versus what you actually need to achieve to stand out:

Candidates with composite PST scores below 827 are three times more likely to succeed at BUD/S. This is not a program designed to get you in shape; you must arrive in peak physical condition to prevent early wear-and-tear injuries. For a complete breakdown of what is required to pass, see our guide on Navy SEALs BUD/S Training Requirements.

Why Training to Beome a Navy SEAL Requires Navy Boot Camp then NSW Prep School then BUD/S then SQT Before You Earn the Trident

The logic behind this highly structured pipeline is simple: progressive conditioning and continuous screening. The Navy cannot afford to send unprepared recruits directly to Coronado.

By structuring the pipeline so that Training to Beome a Navy SEAL Requires Navy Boot Camp then NSW Prep School then BUD/S then SQT Before You Earn the Trident, the military ensures that candidates are progressively hardened. Each stage acts as a filter, protecting the integrity of the community and ensuring that only those with the absolute highest levels of mental tenacity and physical durability make it to the end.

Training to Beome a Navy SEAL Requires Navy Boot Camp then NSW Prep School then BUD/S then SQT Before You Earn the Trident

The journey is a sequential gauntlet. You cannot skip steps, and you cannot rush the process. Let's look at how the early stages of this pipeline prepare you for the ultimate test.

Step 1: Navy Boot Camp

Every enlisted candidate starts their military journey at Recruit Training Command (RTC) in Great Lakes, Illinois. This 8-week program is designed to transform civilians into basically trained sailors. You will learn military discipline, basic seamanship, physical fitness, and core Navy values.

While at Navy Boot Camp, SEAL candidates train alongside general fleet recruits but are grouped into special divisions. You will participate in additional physical training sessions to maintain your conditioning, and you must pass a weekly PST to ensure you do not lose your physical edge.

Step 2: Naval Special Warfare Preparatory School (NSW Prep)

Immediately following boot camp graduation, you will move down the road to NSW Prep, also located in Great Lakes. This 5-week course is a critical bridge between the basic military training of boot camp and the extreme physical demands of Coronado.

At NSW Prep, the focus shifts entirely to physical conditioning, injury prevention, and water competency. Instructors—many of whom are active or former SEALs—will coach you on proper running form, swimming techniques with and without fins, and functional strength training.

Before leaving NSW Prep, you must pass a Modified PST with much stricter standards than your initial screening:

• 1000-meter swim with fins: 20 minutes or under
• Push-ups: At least 70 in two minutes
• Pull-ups: At least 10 (no time limit)
• Sit-ups: At least 60 in two minutes
• 4-mile run in boots and pants: 31 minutes or under

Approximately 75% of candidates who successfully complete NSW Prep go on to graduate from BUD/S, proving how vital this preparation phase is.

Step-by-Step: Training to Beome a Navy SEAL Requires Navy Boot Camp then NSW Prep School then BUD/S then SQT Before You Earn the Trident

This step-by-step progression is deliberate. Boot camp establishes discipline; NSW Prep builds the specific athletic foundation; BUD/S tests your psychological limits; and SQT teaches you how to fight. Each phase is a building block. Trying to tackle BUD/S without the baseline of boot camp and the physical tuning of NSW Prep would lead to a near-100% injury and failure rate.

Conquering BUD/S: The Three Phases of Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL

Once you complete prep school and a brief 3-week orientation phase, you will arrive at the legendary Naval Special Warfare Center in Coronado, California. This is BUD/S: a 24-week test of human endurance that has broken some of the most elite athletes in the world.

Phase 1: Physical Conditioning and Hell Week (7 Weeks)

First Phase is designed to test your mental resolve. It is characterized by endless running in soft sand, obstacle courses, "surf torture" (lying in freezing Pacific water until hypothermia sets in), and "Log PT," where teams of candidates carry 150-pound telephone poles.

The defining event of First Phase is Hell Week, which occurs around the fourth week of training.

• The Reality: Hell Week is a 5.5-day continuous training evolution.
• The Toll: Candidates run more than 200 miles, perform physical training for over 20 hours a day, and sleep for a grand total of about four hours across the entire week.
• The Attrition: Hell Week alone eliminates more than 75% of the starting class.

Those who wish to quit can do so at any time through a process called Drop on Request (DOR). All a candidate has to do is walk up to the brass ship's bell hanging at the center of the compound, ring it three times, and place their helmet liner on the deck.

To read more about this incredibly difficult initial phase, check out our guide on First Phase Navy SEAL Training BUD/S.

Phase 2: Combat Diving and Pool Competency (7 Weeks)

If you survive First Phase, you will transition to Second Phase, which focuses on combat diving. This is where you learn to operate both open-circuit (SCUBA) and closed-circuit (oxygen rebreathers) systems. Closed-circuit diving is what allows SEALs to swim undetected underwater because it does not produce bubbles.

The ultimate test of Second Phase is Pool Competency ("Pool Comp"). Instructors will submerge you in a deep pool and systematically attack your dive gear—turning off your air, tangling your hoses, and pulling off your mask. You must remain completely calm under pressure, solve each problem systematically using your training, and prove you will not panic in a life-or-death underwater environment.

Phase 3: Land Warfare and San Clemente Island (7 Weeks)

Third Phase shifts the focus to land-based operations. You will spend most of your time on San Clemente Island, located about 60 miles off the coast of San Diego.

Here, you will learn:

• Weapons handling and marksmanship
• Demolitions and tactical breaching
• Land navigation and patrolling
• Small unit tactics

The physical demands remain high, with long rucks over rugged terrain, but the focus shifts toward tactical execution and teamwork.

Beyond BUD/S: SQT, Earning the Trident, and Advanced Training

Graduating BUD/S is a massive achievement, but you are still not a Navy SEAL. You do not wear the Trident yet. You are simply a "BUD/S graduate" entering the next phase of advanced training.

Parachute Jump School and SQT

Immediately after BUD/S, you will attend the 3-week Parachute Jump School (Basic Airborne), where you will learn static-line and military free-fall (HALO/HAHO) operations.

Following jump school, you will begin the 26-week SEAL Qualification Training (SQT). While BUD/S is designed to see if you can be broken, SQT is designed to teach you how to be a tactical operator. The curriculum is dense and covers:

• Advanced combat diving and maritime operations
• Close Quarters Combat (CQC) and urban warfare
• Tactical Combat Casualty Care (TCCC)
• Survival, Evasion, Resistance, and Escape (SERE) school

Upon successful completion of SQT, candidates finally graduate, receive their Navy rating as a Special Operator (SO), and are awarded the coveted Special Warfare Insignia—the Navy SEAL Trident. Learn more about this transition in our guide What You Need to Know About Navy SEALs Training.

Enlisted vs. Officer Paths to the Trident

While enlisted candidates and officers train side-by-side at BUD/S, their entry paths are quite different:

• Enlisted Path: Enlisted candidates secure an SO contract through a recruiter, attend boot camp, and enter the pipeline.
• Officer Path: Aspiring SEAL officers must apply through highly competitive selection programs. This includes the SEAL Officer Selection process. Candidates from the Naval Academy, ROTC, or Officer Candidate School (OCS) must attend the SEAL Officer Assessment and Selection (SOAS) course during the summer. Only about 70-80 officers are selected to attend BUD/S each year.

Officers are expected to lead from the front, and their performance at BUD/S is heavily scrutinized. If an officer fails or quits, they are immediately reassigned to the fleet in a conventional officer role.

The Pre-Deployment Workup and Life in the Teams

Once pinned with the Trident, you will be assigned to an active-duty SEAL Team (either East Coast in Virginia Beach, VA, or West Coast in Coronado, CA).

Before you ever deploy, you will enter an 18-month pre-deployment workup cycle divided into three distinct blocks:

1. Individual Specialty Training (6 months): You will attend specialized schools to learn sniper operations, communications, advanced driving, or language skills.
2. Unit Level Training (ULT - 6 months): Your entire platoon trains together to master air, land, and maritime tactics.
3. Task Group Level Training (6 months): You will conduct large-scale, joint-service integration exercises to prepare for real-world deployments.

Only after this extensive preparation will you embark on your first 6-month deployment.

The Only Easy Day Was Yesterday: BUD/S Class 89

Frequently Asked Questions about Navy SEAL Training

What is the overall attrition rate for Navy SEAL training?

The overall attrition rate for the entire pipeline—from the moment a candidate signs an enlistment contract to SQT graduation—is approximately 90.5%. Only about 9.5% of candidates succeed. The attrition rate specifically for BUD/S training sits between 70% and 80%, with the majority of drops occurring during the first phase and Hell Week.

Can women attend BUD/S and become Navy SEALs?

Yes. In December 2015, all combat roles in the United States military, including Navy SEALs, were opened to women. Female candidates must meet the exact same physical, mental, and medical standards as their male counterparts. There are no separate standards or modified pipelines.

How long does the entire pipeline take from enlistment to deployment?

The formal training pipeline from enlisting to earning your Trident takes about 15 to 18 months. Once you join a SEAL team, you must complete an additional 12 to 18 months of pre-deployment workup training. Therefore, it takes roughly 2.5 to 3 years from your first day of boot camp before you will deploy on your first operational mission.

Conclusion

Becoming a Navy SEAL is not a job; it is a calling that requires you to sacrifice everything to join an elite brotherhood. The road is long, punishing, and designed to make you quit.

At USMilitary.com, we are committed to providing you with the honest, unfiltered truth about what it takes to serve at the highest levels. If you believe you have the mental tenacity and physical drive to take on this challenge, start preparing today.

For a complete and exhaustive look at the history, culture, and training of this elite force, visit our Navy SEALs Complete Guide.