Do You Have It in You to Be a Navy SEAL?

By: Zoe Samuel
Estimated Completion Time
4 min
Do You Have It in You to Be a Navy SEAL?
Image: Shutterstock

About This Quiz

The United States military has many elite groups. The Marines go all the way back to the Barbary Wars and beyond. The Army Rangers made their name fighting Adolph Hitler. Even the Air Force has its HALO jumpers. 

The Navy, however, has perhaps the toughest special operators, with the highest washout rate of any special operations command. The Navy SEAL (Sea, Air, Land) program prepares America's toughest sailors for duty as parachuting, SCUBA diving, marching ninjas who can strike anywhere in the world. 

The special training regimen includes simulated torture (which doesn't feel at all simulated when it is administered), punishing physical training, specialized hand to hand combat classes, special weapons, electronics training, and of course, teamwork.

Assuming you survive training, you might still decide not to continue your career as a SEAL. The life of a Navy SEAL is a life spent waiting with bated breath for the opportunity to jump on a plane to some far-flung corner of the world to fight America's enemies. Being a SEAL isn't like being a boxer or a wrestler; it's about being efficient, fighting dirty when you need to, and killing the enemy in their sleep if the mission demands it.

Do you have it in you to make it as a Navy SEAL? Take this quiz and find out.

Did you cry when you got hurt as a kid?
No, I was a stoic.
A little, but I was a kid!
I would, but it would stop after a while.
I would bawl for hours.
How many times have you broken a bone or joint?
Enough
Two or three times
Once
Never
How did you fare when you were in fights growing up?
I would take my lumps and move on.
I would always win.
I would win, sometimes.
I would curl into a ball and protect my kidneys.

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Are you squeamish about blood?
No
Only my own
It depends on how much blood.
Yes, very
How are you in a crisis?
Totally zen
I keep pretty calm.
I get a little charge out of it, but I stay mostly okay.
I freak out a bit.
Are you studious?
Like a Rhodes Scholar
I learn what I need without complaint.
I'm okay, but not great.
I'm not great at learning things I'm not interested in.

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How easy is it to push your buttons?
It's nearly impossible.
It's hard.
If you find my buttons, they're easy to push.
I wear my heart on my sleeve.
How willing are you to put it all on the line?
Totally willing
Mostly willing
I'll stick my neck out.
I'd rather not get my hands dirty!
How's your spacial sense?
It's good, even in the dark.
It's okay, with some aids.
It's not great without a map.
I can work well in three dimensions.

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Are you a good driver?
I'm a really good driver.
I'm pretty safe behind the wheel.
I'm better off on a skateboard.
I'd rather fly than drive.
How quickly can you master technology?
I pick it up quickly.
If I have time to practice, I can learn it.
I need lots of time and tutelage.
I'd need to go to school to learn anything.
Could you navigate even when there are no visible stars or the sun?
Yes, I know how to do that.
With enough time, I could figure it out.
I don't think so.
Of course I could! I have a phone!

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Can you improvise a compass?
Absolutely. Give me a cork, a pin, and a basin.
I'd just need a watch and the sun.
I'd need a radio.
No
How flexible are your joints?
Pretty flexible
I've got too much bulk to be flexible.
I can put my foot behind my head.
I'm not very flexible.
How far can you run, full tilt, before you have to stop?
40 minutes
15 minutes
5 minutes
A couple minutes

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How strong is your back?
As strong as it needs to be
I can carry my gear and my battle buddy.
I can squat a hundred pounds.
I've got some disc problems.
How much would you sacrifice to succeed?
Everything I've got.
My life
I'd be willing to get hurt.
I'd wreck millions of dollars in gear to succeed
How facile are you with languages?
I pick them up easily.
Not very facile.
I can speak a couple languages.
I can pick up languages with some practice.

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How good is your short term memory?
It's crystal clear.
It's good.
It's not bad.
I'm good at picking out the important things to remember.
Can you keep a secret?
Yes. Shhhh!
Mostly
No way
I could tell you, but then I'd have to kill you.
Are you respectful of the pecking order?
Totally
Mostly
A bit
No, my awesomeness trumps the pecking order.

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Are you willing to pull rank?
If I have to, I will.
If there is no other way.
It sounds like a good time.
I love pulling rank!
Are you a good shot?
I put King David to shame.
I am the product of my training, so yes.
Not really
Not at all
How are you with hand tools?
I can master a hand tool with a few minutes of practice.
If I have read the manual, I can use the tool.
I need a little tutelage and some time with it, but I can make it work.
The only hand tool I know how to use is a bottle opener.

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Have you ever taken a civilian survivalist course?
I've done Outward Bound a few times.
I was a boy scout.
I was a cub scout.
No
Can you take a hit?
I can, because I have.
I don't need to because I am Bruce Lee, baby!
I don't know and I don't want to find out.
I have been hit, and so I can say with total certainty: no.
Do you have any physical ailments?
Nothing major
I have a bum knee.
I have a trick elbow.
I have a bad back.

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How's your vision?
Slightly less than perfect
I'm a little colorblind.
I have a history of eye problems in my family.
Perfect
What is your deepest darkest fear?
Disgracing my family
Dying horribly
Torture
Being paralyzed
How long do you want to be in the service?
40 years
20 years
5 years
Long enough to get the skills I need for a civilian career

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