IDF gibushim (tryouts) explained — Yom Sayerot, Gibush Matkal, Gibush Shayetet, Gibush Yachatiot, Gibush Tzanchanim, how olim get invited and how to prepare
A gibush (גיבוש, plural gibushim) is a multi-day selection camp. Almost every unit that is “harder to get into than a regular brigade” fills its ranks this way. You cannot simply request these units on your manila (job preference form) — you have to be invited, show up, and be picked.
The ladder of gibushim
| Gibush | Feeds | Length | When | Who is invited |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yom Sayerot (“special-forces day”) | Gatekeeper for everything below | 1 day | Twice a year, autumn and winter, at Wingate | Candidates with profile 97 (some 82) and a high Hebrew score, before the draft |
| Gibush Matkal (shared by Sayeret Matkal, Shaldag, 669) | The three General Staff / Air Force elite units | 4–5 days | April and November | Top finishers of Yom Sayerot |
| Gibush Shayetet | Shayetet 13 (naval commandos) | 4 days | March and July | Yom Sayerot passers with perfect health (no glasses, no color blindness) |
| Gibush Yachatiot (“brigade recon tryout”) | Duvdevan, Maglan, Egoz, Oketz, Yahalom, Rimon, Palsar/Palhan/Orev companies of Golani, Givati, Nahal, Paratroopers, plus Yamas, Moran and other special units | 3 days | Several times a year, tied to draft dates | Yom Sayerot participants who were not taken to Matkal/Shayetet, and other invitees with a combat profile |
| Gibush Tzanchanim | Paratroopers Brigade (regular battalions) | 1.5–2 days | At each draft; also run during Michve Alon for olim | Anyone with profile 82+ who lists Paratroopers — the only regular infantry brigade with a tryout |
| Pilots’ course screening | Air Force flight academy | Multi-stage over months | By invitation from Tzav Rishon scores | Very high kaba/DAPAR, profile 97, security clearance |
Roughly: Yom Sayerot → (Matkal / Shayetet / Yachatiot) → unit-specific training. Most soldiers who “did a gibush” did Gibush Yachatiot or Gibush Tzanchanim.
What happens at a gibush
The content is deliberately not published, but every account lists the same elements: sprints and repeated hill runs, crawling, carrying sandbags and jerrycans, stretcher marches, digging, sleep deprivation, team problem-solving tasks, solo navigation, and interviews with psychologists and unit officers. Assessors score physical stamina, willpower after you are exhausted, teamwork, honesty, and leadership under pressure — not just who runs fastest. Quitting is always allowed; the drop-out rate is high by design.
You usually get one attempt. If you are injured or leave a gibush, there is normally no second invitation. Do not arrive carrying an injury.
Requirements to be invited
- Medical profile: 97 for Yom Sayerot / Matkal / Shayetet as a rule; 82 is sometimes accepted for Gibush Yachatiot and Gibush Tzanchanim.
- Hebrew: Yom Sayerot requires a high Hebrew score at the Tzav Rishon (7+ out of 9). Candidates assigned to the Michve Alon Hebrew course are not invited.
- Kaba / DAPAR: high scores help; a low DAPAR can keep you off Yom Sayerot even with a 97 profile.
- Age: gibushim are aimed at the standard draft (18–21). Olim who arrive older can still be invited to Gibush Tzanchanim and Gibush Yachatiot; Matkal and Shayetet rarely take candidates who would finish training after ~24.
For olim and lone soldiers
- Hebrew is the real filter. Most olim who miss out on special forces do so because of the Hebrew score, not fitness. If you want a shot, reach a strong conversational level before the Tzav Rishon and say so in the interview.
- Paratroopers reserve places for olim (around 25 per draft) and run a separate Gibush Tzanchanim for olim during Michve Alon — the most realistic elite path for an oleh whose Hebrew is not yet at 7+.
- If you did Michve Alon you can still ask the placement officer at the end of the course about Gibush Yachatiot; some olim are invited from there.
- NBN’s Lone Soldiers Program submits screening requests for special-forces tryouts on behalf of olim with a combat profile (army@nbn.org.il). Garin Tzabar and Mahal also run pre-army fitness programs geared to gibushim.
- Special-forces tracks (Matkal, Shayetet, Shaldag, 669) require signing extra service (keva) — 4–5 years in total. An oleh who arrived at 22+ with an 18/24-month obligation must be willing to commit to the full track.
How to prepare
- Build volume, not just speed: long runs with weight, hill repeats, sandbag carries, push-ups, pull-ups, crawling. Train to keep going when tired.
- Practise sleeping little and functioning — the gibush is as much mental as physical.
- Pre-army programs: Garin Mahal’s pre-military program, Garin Tzabar, and the IDF’s own Mechina Kdam-Tzvait (pre-army academies) all prepare for gibushim.
- Show up healthy, with broken-in boots, and with your Hebrew as strong as you can make it.
Contacts
- Meitav: 1111 (ask for “gibushim” / “Yom Sayerot”)
- Mitgaisim: mitgaisim.idf.il — invitations appear in your personal area
- NBN Lone Soldiers Program: army@nbn.org.il, 02-659-5800