Seemingly agitated panel
Had a pre-board interview for officer candidate selection, and the panel felt deliberately adversarial throughout. Multiple members pushed back hard on answers, one in particular seemed to be testing for a reaction dismissive responses, visible smirking, repeating a point several times to see if I’d crack, that kind of thing. I tried to stay composed and consistent, but it felt like I was being rage baited at points, and I left unsure whether that hostility was a sign things went poorly or just a standard pressure-test tactic boards use on purpose. I feel confident in my answers and was extremely respectful the entire time so I’m curious if that’s a tactic to get people who are calm to crash out. It didn’t seem spiteful or aggressive but rather a strategy to get a reaction.
Has anyone else experienced boards or officer selection panels that felt this openly hostile or baiting in tone? Trying to figure out if this is a common evaluation style meant to test composure, or if it’s more panel-dependent. Also curious how people who went through something similar ended up doing in the end. wondering if a rough-feeling interview is actually a red flag or just noise. overall still a rewarding experience