OFFICIALlast verified 2026-10-18Korps Commandotroepen (KCT)
KCT information day — basic physical requirements
On the KCT information day (informatiedag), applicants must show the basic physical requirements: 2,800 m in at most 12 minutes, push-ups and sit-ups to a metronome and strict pull-ups. It comes after the online briefing, application and administrative selection, and before the three Kennismakingsdagen and the medical examination.
Move the sliders to your latest results. The verdict updates instantly against the published standards — calculated in your browser, nothing stored.
Your profile
The bigger your shape, the closer you are to the target line.
minimumtargetyouPay · free · rates from 1 Sep 2026
What a KCT commando earns
- Appointment bonus KCT, premium group 3 (aanstellingspremie); half may be paid after initial training€3,600 per year
- Individual choice budget (IKB): holiday pay 8% + year-end bonus 8.33%16.33% of salary per year
- Parachute jump allowance, by salary group (toelage parachutespringen)€56.46 – €85.13 per jump
- One-off payment Oct 2026, Jan 2027 and Jan 2028: €1,100 up to sergeant-majoor, €900 adjudant to majoor€900 – €1,100 one-off
Salary table from 1 Sep 2026 (+6.5%) as published on defensie.nl; it is not yet in the IBM. VEB is a fixed percentage of salary paid to all military personnel. Published regulations contain no permanent SOF allowance. Step +1 a year with satisfactory performance.
provisional = official source with a provisional legal status, a secondary source or our own calculation; see the sources.
- defensie.nl — Salaristabellen per 1 september 2026 (Oct 18, 2026)
- Inkomstenbesluit militairen (IBM, BWBR0007816) — art. 7c, 11b (VEB), 14–15 (Oct 18, 2026)
- werkenbijdefensie.nl — FAQ Korps Commando Troepen (bindingspremie „anno 2023”) (Oct 18, 2026) provisional
- Inkomstenregeling militairen (IRM, BWBR0039974) — art. 13a (tabel 13a), art. 14 (tabel 9) (Oct 18, 2026)
- Arbeidsvoorwaardenakkoord sector Defensie 2026–2028 (Oct 18, 2026)
The test, event by event
| Event | Minimum |
|---|---|
| Run distance in 12 min (Cooper test) | 2800 m |
| Push-ups (2 min, 1 rep every 2 s) | 30 |
| Sit-ups (2 min, 1 rep every 2 s) | 40 |
| Strict pull-ups (no time limit) | 6 |
Also required
- Minimum swimming diploma A; swimming requirements are tested at the Kennismakingsdagen, but no thresholds are published. No fear of heights.
- Age: Korporaal Commando 19 years 6 months to 28 years 11 months (minimum 20 at the start of the pre-course); officer 17 years 6 months to 30 years 11 months; serving soldiers (doorstroom) up to 35 years 11 months.
- At least 80 % vision without glasses or lenses, no colour blindness, Dutch nationality, at least VMBO education; epilepsy, diabetes and some allergies exclude.
- Minimum — werkenbijdefensie.nl — Commando worden (2026-07-30)
Questions
Is 2,800 m in 12 minutes enough?
The KCT FAQ calls 2,800 m within 12 minutes the lower limit and recommends a margin above it plus runs of 10–15 km. The run is on a 350 m track, 8 laps, in any weather.
What happens if I fail?
Failing on the information day means, as a rule, one year of exclusion; if you only just missed, an earlier retest may be possible by arrangement.
Why only up to 60 push-ups and sit-ups?
Both are done to a metronome with one repetition every 2 seconds, so 2 minutes allow at most 60. Push-ups count when the chest touches a partner's fist; sit-ups when the head touches the floor and the elbows pass the knees.
GERMANY
UNITED KINGDOM